Into the Future
by rachelisafallenangel
Summary: This a series of "samples" and possibly sneak peeks. I'll post samples of stories that I might or might not continue and sneak peeks to chapters from stories I'm working on if it takes too long to update. :) Reviews on samples are greatly appreciated! Make sure you read A/Ns because I usually have something important to say! Or the song at the end is really good. ;)
1. Unsung Heroes (Sample)

**I had already uploaded the samples for Unsung Heroes, House and Legion, but I decided to have a series of "samples" instead so it'll be easier to keep track of them. :) So, this "sample" is actually extended because when I had uploaded it last time, I hadn't uploaded it all on purpose, but no y'all can read the whole chapter. :D**

**Note: This story will not be historically accurate, just like the show (_Hogan's Heroes_, which this is a parody of. It's a TV show that was based in a POW camp in Germany during WWII. The TV show was based off of the movie _Stalag 17.)_  
**

**I do not own _Hogan's Heroes_, HOA or the characters. But I own some; Colonel Kintz, Sergeant Fitz, General Herrmann, and Dr. Deforest!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Colonel Clarke," Colonel Kintz addressed, standing in front of the frosted window of his office, looking out into the small prisoners-of-war camp. He turned back to Jerome Clarke sharply; the heels of his German leather boots clicked together. "I pray that you and your men and women will not attempt to make an escape tonight while General Herrmann is here for dinner."

Jerome smiled. "Sir, you have my word; none of the prisoners here will attempt to break out of the camp."

"And remember, Colonel, a new prisoner will be arriving this afternoon. He's British, I believe. I'm sure you two will have much to talk about." Kintz looked back at the window, eyeing the prisoners in the yard; some tossing a ball between each other, some were talking amongst themselves, some doing work for misbehaving.

Jerome leaned toward Kintz's desk and placed his hands on the cigar box, giving the lid a tug. When it didn't budge, he rolled his blue eyes and pulled the stem out of the back where the hinges were. "I can't wait to meet him." he said, pulling out three cigars and sliding them into the pocket on the inside of his brown leather jacket. He put the stem back into the hinges and stood up, taking off his hat, running a hand through his hair and putting his cap back in place. "Is that all you needed me for, sir?"

"One more thing," Kintz said, turning and sitting at his desk. "All prisoners are confined to the barracks starting at 1800 hours tonight. Lights out at 2100 hours sharp."

"Sir, I object." Jerome frowned, taking off his hat and dropping it onto the German helmet that sat on the desk.

Kintz took the hat off the helmet and tossed it back to the British colonel. "What do you object to?"

"What do you expect us to do for the three hours we're not allowed to leave the barracks? We'll be bored out of our minds. The Red Cross shipments haven't come yet, which have our board game orders." He dropped the hat again.

"That is none of my concern, Colonel Clarke." Kintz said tiredly, taking the hat off his helmet again.

"Make the curfew time 2200 hours." He demanded.

"Very well, 2200—2200 hours," the German colonel looked up at him in confusion. "Why ten o'clock?"

"Then we have extra time to plan our escapes for tomorrow night and it won't disturb your meal with General Herrmann."

"Oh, yes, thank you," he nodded, saluting him.

Jerome saluted, a smirk plastered on his face. He turned and opened the door.

"Colonel Clarke," the commandant called, standing from his desk.

"Don't worry, Colonel, I was just joking. After all, there has never been an escape from Stalag 13, am I right?"

"Yes, yes, of course; you will not succeed, and anyone that tries will be severely punished—30 days in the Cooler."

"Understood," Jerome walked out and closed the door behind him. "Afternoon, Fräulein Elsa."

"Good afternoon, Colonel." The blonde secretary smiled flirtatiously.

Jerome left the commandant's office building and jogged down the steps, flicking the bill of his army cap. He marched across the yard into the shade of the second barrack.

"What Kintz have to say?" Staff Sergeant Eddie Miller asked, pulling the collar of his green jacket tighter around his neck.

"We're getting a new prisoner in today. And General Herrmann is paying the camp another visit tonight."

"Let me guess, we're confined to the barracks starting at 1900 hours?"

"1800. But I got our curfew bumped back to 2200 hours. We'll be able to get Peters and Marks out by then, right?"

"Affirmative, Patricia finished the IDs this morning."

"Good." Jerome rubbed his hands together and grinned, jerking his head toward the sergeant across the yard. "Fitz looks to be having a little bit of trouble."

"I think he'd appreciate a helping hand." Eddie smirked, following Jerome to the side of the German truck.

"Let me help you with that, Fitz." Jerome rushed up and grabbed the other end of the long, wooden box, labeled _Rifles_ in German.

"Oh, thank you, Colonel Clarke." the pudgy sergeant breathed, lifting the end he held into Eddie's hands.

They set the box against the side of the storage building and went to grab another crate.

"So, Fitz, what do you know about the new prisoner that's coming here?" Jerome asked.

"Oh, no, I know nothing—oh, the new prisoner? I do know something. He'll be here soon, arriving in a prisoner truck."

"Well, that's a given," Eddie muttered under his breath.

"I guess for once, Fitz really does know nothing." Jerome chuckled.

They grabbed another box and Fitz smiled at them and then his blue eyes widened. "Oh no, Colonel, Sergeant, no—no, no," he shook his head and wrapped his short arms around the middle of the box and pulled on it.

"Fitz, what are you doing; we're trying to help you." Eddie protested.

"No, I cannot let prisoners haul firearms." He explained.

"Oh is that what these are?" the American said in fake realization, holding up one of the pistols from the box.

"Yes—no, Sergeant Miller, you pickpocket," Fitz scolded, taking the pistol from him.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." he scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fitz, why is Kintz stocking up on guns?" Jerome asked.

"Colonel Clarke, please," he begged. "Stay out of it. I know nothing."

With a roll of his eyes, the colonel shrugged and patted the jumpy Sergeant's shoulder. "That's okay, Fitz. But…I'm gonna have to report this to the Commandant. It's against the camp's rules to let prisoners handle guns, isn't it?"

"Oh, please, Colonel Clarke…" the German blew out a slow breath, his eyes glancing at the blue sky above them. "General Herrmann is visiting tonight."

"Yeah, we already know that." Eddie waved his hand dismissively.

"He's bringing an important man with him. A doctor."

"A doctor? Like, medical doctor or chemical doctor?" Jerome asked.

"Oh, Colonel Clarke, I've said too much already."

"That's alright, Fitz, we've got our ways of finding out the rest." Eddie assured him.

"Thank you, Sergeant." He said with a small, grateful smile.

"You're doing a great job helping your country lose the war, Fitz." Jerome congratulated, saluting him.

Fitz stood straighter and saluted, watching him walk away with his second in command. "Lose the war," he chuckled in amusement and then he frowned in realization. "Colonel Clarke!" But he had already disappeared into the barracks.

* * *

Jerome scratched his neck and let out a breath. "Damn, Jaffray."

First Lieutenant Mara Jaffray smiled across the table at him. She played with one of the cuffs on her military uniform jacket as he stared down at the chess board in concentration. He slowly moved his knight, eyes darting across the board, looking for a better play, but he took his hand away, finding nothing. And Mara lifted her queen up one space in return.

"Checkmate," she announced.

Jerome groaned, dragging his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Just in time, the new prisoner's here." Eddie told them from where he stood, looking out the door of the building.

Jerome and Mara stood and filed out of the door behind Eddie, to the yard, watching the German truck pull up next to the commandant's office building. The dark-skinned soldier hopped out of the truck, a German private shoving his shoulder toward the front of the truck where Fitz stood.

As Fitz talked to the private and the driver of the truck, Jerome walked up to the prisoner. "Name, rank and serial number only, Sergeant," he said, quietly, holding onto his elbow.

"Yes, Colonel," he nodded.

"Colonel Clarke, you know the rules, you cannot talk with the new prisoners until they see the Commandant."

"I just wanted to know who won the game last night." He shrugged innocently.

Fitz muttered under his breath as he ushered the new prisoner into the commandant's office.

"What do you think, Colonel?" Eddie asked, coming up next to him.

"We'll take the usual precautions; Miller, when he showers, check his boots and clothes, make sure they were made in England. Trish, if any papers or personal belongings are brought to the barracks, check them out. Jaffray, see if he's friendly."

"Roger," Patricia nodded, heading to the barracks.

* * *

"Hello, Sergeant," Mara smiled, walking up to him as he walked toward the barracks.

"Oh, hello, Lieutenant," he saluted.

"At ease," she laughed lightly, patting his shoulder. "The only people you should salute to are the Germans, and occasionally Colonel Clarke, the senior ranking POW officer."

He nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Alfred Lewis."

"Mara Jaffray," she responded, shaking his hand. "Has anyone ever called you Alfie?"

"Um, no, ma'am,"

"Well, I think it suits you."

"Really? I've always had people call me Alfred…"

"Are you nervous, Alfie?" she asked, pushing a stray strand of her black hair behind her ear.

"Only a little. I've never been captured before. Is it bad here?" he asked, turning to her quickly.

"We'll try to make your stay here as comfortable as possible," she assured him with a small smile pulling at her lips. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the gang."

* * *

"They're coming this way." Patricia announced. "He looks a little scared."

"Is Mara intimidating him?" Eddie chuckled, placing a card in the discard pile.

Jerome drew a card and looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. "Where was his uniform made?"

"It's British, alright." He replied.

"And I didn't have anything to look through. If he had anything on him, they confiscated it." Patricia spoke up, sitting next to Eddie at the table in the middle of the small room.

The door opened and in stepped Mara, followed by Alfie. He looked around the room, hands stuffed deeply in the pockets of his green jacket.

"Colonel, this is Technical Sergeant Alfred Lewis." She introduced. "Alfie, this is Sergeant Patricia Williamson, Staff Sergeant Eddie Miller, and Colonel Jerome Clarke."

Alfie lifted his hand to his green cap in a salute as Jerome stood up.

"At ease, Lewis; did you do what I told you?"

"Yes, sir, they asked me about my commanding officer, but I refused to answer any questions." He reported.

"Who's your commanding officer?" Eddie asked.

"General Allen Phillips,"

"That explains why. He's well known. We've worked with him in the past." Jerome breathed in and put a hand on Alfie's shoulder. "Now, I'm going to give you two choices; you can either escape, with our help of course, or you can stay here."

"Why would I stay? Isn't it sort of a prisoner's job to escape a POW camp, if you don't mind me asking, sir."

"Because we're a group of prisoners that are experts in getting prisoners, defectors, spies, and others out of the country and to safety. We also sabotage missions and blow things up. Whoever said POW camps are miserable?" he asked with a grin.

Alfie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Would you mind if I thought it over, sir?"

Eddie smirked, shuffling the deck of cards boredly. "Don't worry, Alf; when he tells us to start cleaning the commandant's office building, you need to start worrying and be serious."

"General Herrmann's car just pulled up. There's a civilian with him and four guards. This man is definitely important; Herrmann never travels with so many men." Patricia said, peeking through the cracked open door.

"Time to clean," Jerome smirked at Eddie. "Let's find out whatever we can about this doctor."

"You and your big mouth, Slimeball," Patricia said with a roll of her jade eyes.

"Look who's talking, Yacker." He shot back.

Mara smiled slightly, handing them cleaning supplies as they left the building. She motioned for Alfie to follow her and Jerome came up closely alongside her, hands in his jacket pockets. Patricia and Eddie went to work on sweeping the porch and Mara and Alfie started to clean the window as Jerome leaned against the wall next to the window where he could hear everything said in Kintz's office.

"Welcome, General Herrmann," Kintz said happily, his hands clasping together. "May I just say this is a great honor; we're so happy you decided to—"

"Kintz," the General cut him off loudly, his nasally voice making Jerome scrunch his face in mock pain, and Mara slapped his arm. Alfie looked between the two in curiosity and General Herrmann continued, "This is Doctor Alexandre Deforest."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Kintz shook the man's hand. "We will do all we can to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. You know, I once knew a scientist that tried to—"

"Kintz," General Herrmann interrupted again. "Don't let anyone get to the doctor. It is important that he is guarded by your best men while he's working. His work will set us years ahead of the adversaries."

"Then who will guard the prisoners?" He turned to Deforest. "You know there's never been a successful escape, here, at Stalag 13."

"Don't let anything happen to him, Kintz." Herrmann warned. "Or I'll personally escort you to the Russian Front."

"Yes, General," he saluted.

Jerome pulled Mara away from the window by her sleeve. "We need to get to that doctor."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." She chuckled.

"Now I know why they had that extra barracks built; it's not a barracks at all. It's a laboratory. I wonder what he's working on."

"Colonel Clarke, what is going on here?" Fitz asked, walking up next to him and Mara.

"Just tidying up the commandant's office, Fitz," he replied.

"Why?"

"We felt like it."

"You felt like it," he mumbled disbelievingly.

"Well, we're not confined to the barracks for another three hours. We could clean the whole camp by then."

"Maybe I should suggest that to the commandant." Fitz said, clicking his heels together.

"Maybe you should." Jerome crossed his arms over his chest challengingly.

"Maybe I will." And with that, Fitz marched up the front porch steps and walked through the door of the building.

"Okay," Jerome started, walking over to the others as they gathered in a semi-circle. "That's our ticket to getting to the doctor. He'll be working before dinner and after. Miller, radio London and let them know who the doctor is."

Eddie nodded and jogged off to the barracks.

* * *

"What did London have to say?" Jerome asked as Eddie fell into step with him.

"That guy's important. He specializes in nuclear projects. They want him silenced."

"That's a little dark for us," Patricia pointed out.

"Well, I can see why they'd want him dead, but you're right, Trix. This is different than our other missions."

"What do we do?" Mara asked.

"I'll figure out something." He assured them as they neared the doctor's laboratory.

* * *

**Review?**

**"Beth, I hear you callin', but I can't come home right now. Me and the boys are playin' and we just can't find the sound." -Beth, KISS**

**-Rachel**


	2. Legion (Sample)

**This sample has an extra scene with another superhero! :D**

**I don't own "Red Lady" just to be safe, even though I know nothing about that particular superhero.**

**Enjoy?**

* * *

Black Star let out a slow breath, lifting her right arm, and in one swift motion, she sent the ninja star flying across the room. It landed right between the eyes of the dummy. Three more mannequins appeared, sliding out of the wall. She spun on the short heal of her black boots and threw three more stars as she twisted. Her vision was blurred by the fast pace spinning but she hit each of the targets. She bent backwards and flipped backwards until she made it to the window that looked out over the city.

Planting a hand on her hip, she smirked, flicking her hand to the right. The star sliced the head of the mannequin off and it fell to the floor. The star bounced off the wall and came hurtling back toward her. She caught it between her fingers without so much as a glance and slid it back into her belt.

* * *

Azores rolled his eyes as the bank robber shakily stood up where he had landed feet away. He thinks he can take him? The superhero could hear the faint whine of sirens only a few blocks away from where he was. He opened his clenched right hand and discreetly held the palm of his hand toward the sky. The man's eyes widened in shock as his feet were lifted off the ground and a gust of wind blew his mask right off his face. When the cops rolled up next to him, the man dropped to the ground, and attempted to scramble away.

Azores left it to the authorities to cuff the criminal and shove him into the back of the squad car. The bags of money that had been dropped by the bank robber were confiscated by the cops and they rushed off with a quick thank you to Azores.

When he was about to leave the scene, a hand on his shoulder suddenly stopped him. He turned back to the shorter male and arched an eyebrow behind his blue mask and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Azores?" he asked, clad in black pants and a black t-shirt with a leather jacket over his shoulders; a walkie-talkie strapped to his left hip and a pistol tight against his right hip.

Azores stared down at him silently, waiting for him to explain himself.

He chuckled silently. "Fabian Rutter, executive director of Sibuna," he opened the right side of his jacket, a gold badge clipped on the inside pocket.

"The agency based in the UK for saving the world?" Azores questioned, observing the badge.

"Correct."

He sighed. "What do you need to see me for?"

"We keep tabs on all the solo supers that run around the world."

"Did I break a rule or something?"

"No, we tracked you down because we have a proposition for you." Fabian said.

Azores ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "I'm listening."

* * *

Panting, the short, bald man froze against the wall, staring down at the end of the street where fiery, green eyes could be seen feet away. He clutched the purse in desperation, but as he stared at the tall woman that walked down the sidewalk slowly, he began rethinking taking the purse in the first place. He was desperate. He needed money. But even thirty dollars wasn't worth coming face to face with Blaze.

And before he had a chance to drop the bag and run, she standing before him, flames rising from the palms of her pale hands. He swallowed thickly. Without a second thought, he coward, shut his eyes tightly and raised his hands in surrender, and the purse fell beside his feet.

Blaze took a deep breath. Only briefly, she felt sorry for him, and then she grabbed the purse and his arm. On shaky legs, he let her lead him down the street to the first patrol car that had appeared since he stole the purse. When she was spotted, the car came to an abrupt halt and the officers rushed out, their hands dropping to the butts of the guns on their hips.

When she was finished with that man and the car had disappeared into the darkness, she continued down the street, her heart rate slowing.

"Blaze," Fabian called, running up to her.

She turned and her green eyes flitted to the black SUV parked behind him. She stopped, eyeing the gun on his hip.

"I'm Fabian Rutter from Sibuna, in the UK." He explained, flashing his badge. "Sibuna has a proposition for you."

* * *

With a smack, the criminal fell against the wall. Red Lady jerked her wrist and a small, sharp blade snapped into her hand. She held it to his neck and smirked. "Would you like to try to leave again?" she asked.

He tried prying her arm away from his chest where it rested against his chest, but the knife came closer to his skin. Red Lady saw his Adam's apple bob and she pulled back, only a second before she had his chest against the wall and her hand holding one of his arms behind his back. She looked over her shoulder at the two policemen that scurried in over the rubble from the explosion on the bank safe. They took the man from her and she walked away quietly, sliding her dagger back into her cuff. She leaned back on the wooden desk that sat opposite the safe and crossed her arms over her chest, watching the authorities usher the criminal out of the building, and waiting for one of the officers to get some information from her for multiple forms.

"What are you supposed to be?" she arched an eyebrow at Fabian as he stepped over a fallen pillar. He smiled.

"Red Lady," he addressed and she pushed off the desk, "I'm Fabian Rutter, executive director of Sibuna. I'd like a word with you."

"Why should I talk to you?" she demanded.

He chuckled. "How would you like to work with Sibuna and fight some…" his eyes flitted to the doorway, "_real_ criminals?"

She planted her hands on her hips. "Well, I have been getting bored with these lower-class goons. Keep talking, Rutter."

* * *

Lionheart grit his teeth, blue eyes narrowing toward the man that had pulled the young girl into the alleyway. He clenched his fists and stalked to the corner of one of the bordering buildings. The girl whimpered, frightened as the man held her against a wall, hissing like a demon into her ear.

"Let her go." He ordered, his care for this girl already rising. He could feel himself grow stronger by the second. He could easily punch a hole into this wall of bricks.

"Mind your own business, mate." The man sneered, not bothering to look his way.

"I could kill you right here, right now, you know. It'd be easy; like, snapping a twig in half."

"You wouldn't do that in front of the lady, now would y…" the man's retort suddenly drifted off when he finally looked back at Lionheart. His gaze widened and leaped away from the girl as if she had burned him. "Now, I-I don't want any trouble."

"You should've thought of that before you tried to hurt her." Lionheart said, jerking his head to the opening of the alley and the young woman shot him a grateful glance before rushing away from the scene.

And once she was gone, Lionheart wasted no time in throwing an uppercut at the man's jaw, and he flew back into the side of a dumpster.

The man didn't even bother to get up; he groaned and slumped back in defeat. Sirens wailed down the street, coming to a screeching halt next to the alley. Policemen dragged the man away and Lionheart breathed in deeply, calming himself slowly. His eyes suddenly met the ones of the woman and she smiled shyly, walking up to him.

"Thank you," she breathed. "How could I ever repay you?"

He smiled and she seemed to answer her question herself, closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. His wound around her waist and when their lips met, a throat cleared behind Lionheart.

He pulled back and looked over his shoulder. Fabian slipped his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Another time, love." Lionheart grinned and she reluctantly ran off. "Can I help you?"

"I need to discuss something with you."

* * *

Landing gracefully on the gray tile floor of the small room, Mirage turned to the counter of buttons and dials. She propped the vent cover up against the wall and stared at the controls on the table, deciphering what they were for. Over the counter was a window that stretched the length of the wall. She looked out and down to the black abyss that seemed to go on forever. At a diagonal angle from the window, she could see her partner glide to the edge of a doorway, stopping at the abyss.

Through her earpiece, she heard the Hooded Justice blow out slow breath. He wasn't surprised. "There's a strong energy source in this tunnel. What is it?"

"It's an electric trap." She replied, punching a few of the controls on the panel.

"How's it activated?"

"Heat," she chuckled, her brown eyes flitting up to look at him. His posture was perfect; his body was still; and he cast a noticeable intimidating vibe.

"Well, I can't avoid that one. Can you shut it down?"

"Only for twelve seconds," she said after a minute of silence.

From under his black hood, he looked up at the window, smirking at her. She felt his gaze burning into her and looked down at him. "From where you are, what's your estimated length of this tunnel?"

"I don't know, maybe a little over a block." She shook her head as she rethought her answer.

The Hooded Justice moved closer to the edge. "Take it down."

"Are you sure you'll be able to make it, J? We can find another way—"

"It's a piece of cake, M." he cut her off. "Don't you think I can make it?"

"…of course," she whispered, staring at the hole.

"What have I told you about lying to me? And doubting me?" he scoffed. "Some best friend you are."

"Oh, hush. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"If I fall, you'll catch me, won't you?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"I don't know about that."

"Just give me the word," he said.

Holding the dial that switched off the power, Mirage told him to go, switching the dial, and the twelve seconds began. He flew across the gorge, while Mirage held her breath in fear and anticipation. When he made it to the other side with three seconds to spare, she grinned.

"What was my time?"

She could hear his mischievous smirk in his voice.

"Nine seconds,"

"Damn, I'm good."

"Do you see the doors anywhere? There should be a white stripe painted on them horizontally." She informed him.

"Yeah, it's at the end of the hall, here. I'm not gonna run into any surprises, am I? After all, I was born with amazing abilities, but sensing danger is not one of those talents."

"No, you're safe." She laughed.

The Hooded Justice pressed the button on the wall, opening the sliding doors. He flew in, cape swishing around him like pitch black fog. On a single podium in the middle of the dimly lit room, a small, green chip sat in a stand. He plucked the piece of plastic from the holder and smiled triumphantly.

"Got it," he announced to his partner. "You take it, you'll get back before I do."

"Okay," she replied.

The Hooded Justice bit down gently on the chip, pulling it into his mouth, and then he proceeded to fly to a vent on the other side of the room.

"I'll never know how you do that, will I?" Mirage sighed in wonder, holding the chip tightly in her hand.

Her partner chuckled. "Would you really like to know how I do it?"

"No, I like the mystery." She smiled, her form morphing into a misty, gray being, and she jumped onto the wall. Now a shadow, she passed under doors and through windows. Soon, she was on the ground level, and she marched into the first room on the left.

* * *

**Review?**

**Question: Just by the descriptions of the supers, their powers and their dialogue, what are their secret identities?**

**"It's a shame that it had to be this way. It's not enough to say I'm sorry, it's not enough to say I'm sorry. Maybe I'm to blame, or maybe we're the same. But either way I can't breathe, either way I can't breathe." -Goodbye, Secondhand Serenade**

**-Rachel**


	3. House (Sample)

**Now, I don't usually post things unless I get reviews on whatever I last posted, but I don't know when I'll update something. I've recently become a teeny bit addicted to Hogan's Heroes and the pairing "Newgan" - Hogan and Newkirk. So...I've been fangirling over them recently. I won't rant about them because I don't know if any of you know what I'm talking about here... But I do have a couple samples coming up. If you give me feedback, I upload another sample, and maybe I might upload a sneak peek to one of my stories, like A Love Like War, No one needs to know, A Second Chance, So Close Yet So Far, etc. :)**

**This is a parody of House by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti! :)**

**I don't own House of HOA!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"J, are you absolutely positive this is the road to your father's apartment building?" Mara Jaffray murmured to her best friend, brown eyes drifting to the window. She hadn't wanted to look, but no human being could help themselves when something frightening was before them.

They drove down a dark, dusty path that had gone off the main road miles back. The trees were mostly dead, some fallen and leaning on others. The only leaves in the forest covered the ground, creating an ugly, wet brown that glimmered in the golden setting sun. There was no light ahead and they had past any road signs miles back.

"I'm very sure, Jaffray." Jerome Clarke assured her. He took one hand off the wheel to drag his fingers through his dirty-blonde hair.

"Both hands on the wheel, please," Mara nearly shrieked.

"Calm down!" he exclaimed, chuckling, but he did as she asked. "What's got you all excited?"

"I think we're lost."

"We're not lost. I'm sure the main road is just another mile or so ahead."

Mara chose to believe him. Jerome had a tendency to promise things that he wasn't sure of, but he was right 97% of the time. She took a deep breath and relaxed in to the passenger's seat of the blue mustang.

"Why don't you put on some music to calm your nerves?" Jerome suggested. "The CD case is under the seat, I think."

She nodded and pulled the black case out from under her seat. She flipped through the many CDs, many of bands that Jerome loved but she didn't really listen to. Finally, she pushed _Abbey Road _into the player and waited for _The Beatles_ to start singing.

Jerome tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel to the beat of the drums of the song that played, but it was unconscious. His mind always wandered when he was with Mara. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and nearly groaned. She was so _goddamn_ beautiful. Her eyes were closed and her full, pink lips mouthed the words to the song that he knew was one of her favorites off the album. Her hands tapped gently on her thigh and when only a couple notes played at the end of a verse, she'd tap her fingers as if she was playing the piano; first her forefinger, then her thumb, her middle finger, and her forefinger again.

"Jerome, please, pay attention to how fast you're going." She said softly.

The speedometer arrow pointed to the eighty and he forced his foot to relax. The car had been moving almost as fast as his heart was pounding.

Oh, god, how he wished that he was more than her best friend. He would give anything; anything at all. He had fallen in love with her when they were sixteen, a year after they had met in high school. They had gone to the same college and university and had easily become best friends. They talked to each other about everything over a cup of tea or a chess game and it worked for them.

To Mara, it was just hanging out with her friend. But in Jerome's head, which was slightly out of touch with reality, he was on a date with the most magnificent woman that had ever walked the face of the earth.

Soon, Jerome switched the headlights on as the sun disappeared from view and the full moon cast an eerie glow on the dirt road.

"Jerome, you're lost." Mara stated. She had turned down the music and switched the overhead light on so she could read the map. She followed the red and black lines with the tip of her forefinger and then tapped the page twice. "We're not on the highway anymore. The highway we'd gotten off leads to the city; this road leads to – Jerome, your speed."

But her warning came a little too late and Jerome groaned.

Mara looked up from the road map to the red and blue flashing lights behind them. She folded up the map and put it in the glove box. "J, I told you not to speed. Well, as long as he's here, let's ask for directions."

"No, we don't need to." He shook his head and slowed the car, pulling onto the side of the road.

"Jerome, don't you dare start being a man about this." She scolded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jerome turned to her, hand resting on the back of her seat. She met his eyes and raised both her eyebrows challengingly.

"It means that we're going to ask for directions, whether you want to or not, Jerome Clarke."

Jerome huffed, slouching back into the leather seat.

"Don't pout, you baby." She laughed, slapping his shoulder playfully.

She jumped when a knock sounded on his window. He rolled down the window slowly and Mara grabbed onto his arm. The patrolman leaned over, hand gripping his butt of the pistol on his belt.

"License and registration, please," He said in a gruff voice.

Jerome sighed silently and opened the glove box, pulling out the needed papers. He also showed his license and bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself quiet. He was so frustrated at the moment; he really didn't need this.

The officer handed the papers back to Jerome. "Step out of the car a moment."

Jerome's blue eyes darted to Mara. He wasn't sure what to make of his request. "Why?

"Why? I want to show you something, how's that for why?"

Jerome silently swung his legs out of the car and easily matched the officer's height of 6'2". "Did I do something wrong?"

The patrolman pulled out his billy club, tapping the tip against the palm of his gloved hand. "Go stand by the trunk."

Jerome swallowed discreetly and did as he was told. What was going on?

"Did you know your left tail light is burnt out?" the officer demanded, pointing at the light with his stick.

Jerome nearly breathed a sigh of relief, running a hand through his hair. "No I didn't. Thank you."

Mara hopped out of the car. "We'll get it fixed if we get to town."

Jerome rolled his eyes at the 'if'.

"Who might you be?" the officer asked, icy blue eyes roaming over Mara's body as she stood there in tight jeans and a sleeveless purple blouse.

"Mara Jaffray," she answered easily, bouncing on her heels once.

His green eyes flitting to Mara's left hand. "Siblings? Cousins?"

"Best friends," Mara grinned brightly, which to Jerome seemed to illuminate the entire road and a smile twitched at the corners of his lips.

"Hmm," he hummed.

"We took a wrong turn," Jerome explained quickly, trying to keep the man's eyes off Mara's low rising jeans.

She smiled at the officer, eyes flitting to his name tag. "Officer Richardson, we're trying to get to the city, and he thought this was a shortcut."

Allen Richardson ran a hand over his chin, which sported a five o'clock shadow, and then removed his hat, dragging his fingers through his blonde hair. "The only road that led to town was about twenty miles back."

"Where does this one lead?" Jerome asked politely, but his fingers twitched, ready to grab Mara and shove her into the car so they could speed away from the man. He didn't like him. He didn't pass very good vibes. He seemed dark and dangerous, just like this road.

"Well, there's only one place I know of on this road, but besides that, it's a dead end." He replied. Why did he have to say 'dead end'?

"What is the place?" Mara said.

"It's a bed and breakfast…of sorts."

"Mara," Jerome started.

"How do we get there?" she asked with a kind smile.

"Just follow his road for the next three miles or so. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Well, you be careful." He warned.

Jerome nodded, motioning for Mara to get into the car. "We will; thank you."

Mara waved at Richardson and got into the passenger's side of the car, cocking her head at Jerome, "What was the about?"

"…I didn't like the way he was looking at you." He mumbled after a second.

"J, I can take care of myself," she assured him, leaning back in the seat as he pulled away from the shoulder at a normal speed.

Jerome gritted his teeth. _You mean like that time you couldn't? _His hands tightened on the steering wheel at the memory of when he couldn't go near her without her bursting into tears and screaming until her throat closed up from the lack of air. It nearly brought tears to his eyes, remembering those three long months, waiting for her to accept that he would never hurt her.

A few miles later, Mara pointed out the window. "That must be it!"

Jerome looked up at the big house that was coming into view. The car jerked and Jerome turned his attention back to the road as the vehicle swerved to the right, nearly slamming into a tree right when he stepped on the break.

"Jerome! Eyes on the road!" Mara shrieked.

"No, there was something in the road. I hit something or…" he stepped out of the car and looked at the tires. They were flat and the rubber had been torn to shreds from the skid. He squinted at the darkness down the road, trying to spot what he had run over. His eyes widened. In the distance where the car had stopped working properly, was a long strip of rubber that stretched across the road. Long, steel spikes stuck up from the black rubber.

Jerome's eyes floated up and down the dark road; to the trees and the deep brush. Silence. No sound. No movement.

Certainly, whoever had laid out that trap would have pounced by now; come out of hiding, fired a weapon, _something_.

Mara got out of the car and gasped at the damage of the tires.

"Come on, let's go up to that house. Hopefully they have a phone." Jerome muttered, opening the car's trunk. He lifted their bags out and slung hers over his shoulder, holding the other with his left hand. He locked the car doors with a push of a button on his keychain and gripped Mara's elbow in his right hand, pulling her toward the house.

* * *

**Review?**

**"A baby moonlight, hits the spotlight. I'm on my flight, to take you away. I'm feeling so free, you're making me crazy. That's what you do, that's what you do." -Whiplash, Selena Gomez & The Scene**

**-Rachel**


	4. Wretched and Divine (Sample)

**This story...I don't know if I will continue. If I do, I might not publish it, I'll just write it for my own personal entertainment because I love the idea of Jerome being all rock 'n roll, and I love the OCs in this story and...I just like this plot. If I don't get at least five people asking for this to be continued, I won't continue it at all. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Mara Jaffray sat waiting in the head teacher's office, book bag sat on her lap. Her long black hair fell mid-back and her brown eyes roamed around the office; to the file cabinets, to the desk, to the bookshelf, to the suit of armor being used as a coat rack. Basically, it was your classic head teacher's office.

The door behind her opened and Mr. Sweet and a male student stepped into the room. Mr. Sweet took a seat at his desk and the student sat beside Mara. He had brown hair that fell over his green eyes. He had barely visible bags under his bright eyes and he looked a little older than Mara.

"Miss Jaffray, this is Justin Hughes, one of our students here at Anubis. He's a dancer." Mr. Sweet explained. "He'll be showing you around the school."

"Hi," Mara smiled kindly, holding her hand out to him. His smile was friendly and he shook her hand.

Without another word, Mr. Sweet shooed them out of the room and Justin chuckled. "Well, here at Anubis: School of Performing Arts, we believe in helping each other out. So, I'll be your first friend. And as your friend, I'll introduce you to my friends. And I'll also give you a bit of advice when it seems necessary." He winked.

Mara nodded in understanding and followed him down the hallway.

"Here's your locker, number 39; the combination is on your paper right there." He pointed to the papers in her hand. She put in the combination and opened the locker, assessing the size and noting the books that were on the shelves before closing it and turning to Justin, ready for the next part of the tour.

"Oh, there's the second and third friends you'll have." He pointed down the hall and then led her there; the lounge. Two girls sat on one of the sofas, laughing about something on one girl's phone. "This is Amber Millington; model, actress, and costume designer; and Nina Martin; model and actress. Girls, this is Mara Jaffray."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Nina smiled brightly. She stood up and shook her new friend's hand, brushing her light brown hair away from her green eyes.

"You're American," Mara noted.

"And proud of it," she winked.

Mara chuckled, shaking hands with Amber. Her platinum blonde hair and big blue eyes made Mara feel slightly self-conscious, but she just told herself to try and be confident with herself.

"We'll see you guys in class; Mara and I have a lot of ground to cover before first period." Justin gripped her upper arm and led her through the halls once again, pointing out several class rooms before coming to a halt next to a group; three girls and three boys.

"Hey, guys, I've got a new student with me. Mara Jaffray, meet Fabian Rutter, Joy Mercer, Mick Campbell, Alfie Lewis and Piper and Patricia Williamson. Fabian's a singer, Joy's a singer, Mick's got a sports scholarship so he dances, Alfie's a singer and Piper and Patricia are singers and models."

Mick stuck his hand out, a boyish grin lighting up his tanned face. He flicked his blonde hair out of his blue eyes. "How's it going? You're going to love it here."

"Welcome," Fabian nodded, blue eyes kind and his brown hair falling limply over them.

Alfie, the dark-skinned one, grinned. "You wanna see a magic trick?" His brown eyes sparkled with excitement, holding his fisted hand up so Mara could see.

"Alfie," Joy warned, pushing his arm down. Her brown hair was straight and fell over his shoulders prettily. She rolled her brown eyes. "You know that trick doesn't work. You almost caught Amber's hair on fire when you did it last."

Patricia laughed at Alfie's grumbling, pushing her auburn hair away from her green eyes.

And then two more teenagers appeared, running up to the group.

"Who's having lunch with us?" the blonde boy asked.

"All of us, just like always, Weasel Face." Patricia retorted.

"Well, jeez, Yacker, I was in a good mood and you just ruined it for me."

The girl next to him that had brown curly hair and brown eyes laughed. "We were just wondering because everyone seems to be off doing their own thing today. I haven't seen Willow since breakfast."

"Mara, this is KT Rush and Eddie Miller." Justin presented. "KT sings and Eddie dances."

"Does everyone dance at this school?" Mara giggled.

"Almost everyone," Eddie shrugged. "Willow dances, but she models more…."

"Hey, welcome to the school." KT greeted, holding her hand out to Mara.

"Thanks."

"Okay, let's get moving before the bell rings." Justin suggested, just as the warning bell shrilled through the school's hallway and the group laughed. "Well, okay then."

They all headed down the hall and Mara followed close behind, immediately feeling a little welcomed to the group even though she'd only met them a few minutes ago. When they got to their history classroom, Amber and Nina were already there with another girl. She waved happily, her strawberry-blonde hair tied in braided pigtails, green eyes sparkling brightly.

"Last friend we've got," Justin promised with a laugh. "Mara Jaffray, this is Willow Jenks, she sings."

"Hi!" she cheered, wrapping her arms around Mara in a friendly hug.

"You'll get used to that," Joy assured her, pulling Willow away from her.

"Oh, Joy's my cousin, did you know that?" Willow asked excitedly.

"No, I didn't," Mara smiled.

"Silent Freaks," Eddie hissed, jerking his head toward the entrance to the room.

Everyone hurriedly sat in their seats while Mara stood there, confused. "What?"

"Mara, sit down," Justin ordered, pulling her into the seat next to him at his desk.

"What's wrong?" she whispered as the five teens that had just walked through the classroom door shuffled to the desks in the back silently.

"We'll tell you about it later."

* * *

"So why did you guys freak out when those students walked in?" Mara asked, sitting at the lunch table her friends were at.

Justin sighed when the others looked to him to give the explanation. "Those are the Silent Freaks. They've been here longer than any other student and no one knows anything about them."

"Except you," Eddie corrected and then directed his gaze to Mara. "Justin knows a bunch about them; he's done research. If you ever want to know something about them, he's probably got the answer."

Justin looked down.

"So why are they called the 'Silent Freaks'?"

"Because they don't talk." He shrugged. "No one knows their names. No one knows their talents. They don't perform anything and they don't hand in homework, and the teachers don't do anything about it because they're afraid of them."

"Why?"

"Because of the rumors," Patricia answered before Justin could.

"But are they rumors?" Joy mumbled, biting into her sandwich.

"Like, they're murderers; they're rapists; they've been to jail; they get drunk every night; they do drugs; they sell drugs; they're in gangs; they have sex with each other all the time. And the two tallest guys are gay. They're dating, right, Justin?" Eddie looked to his friend for confirmation.

"Yep,"

"There's nothing wrong with being gay, Eddie." Mara scolded. "Have you guys ever tried talking to them? Asking them if the rumors are true? Do you guys even know them at all?"

"No." they all shook their heads in agreement with KT's reply.

"Then why would you judge them?"

"Because they deserve to be judged," Justin responded instantly.

"For what?"

The table remained silent.

"That's what I thought."

* * *

Jerome Clarke laughed quietly, shaking his head. "Moron," he pushed his cousin's head down gently. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and the strands flopped back down over his forehead.

Andy Stone shoved him back. His short black hair flopped over the right side of his head.

They met each other's identical blue eyes for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"You two are so weird." Alice Grayson commented with a giggle. Her scene queen hairdo was blonde and black, and the strands rustled slightly in the breeze of the afternoon.

Evelyn Reynolds sat on one side of her, typing away on her phone. She brushed her died black and bright red bangs away from her brown eyes and held her phone up, leaning closer to Alice. "Instaselfie!" she stuck her tongue out over her silver snake bites and Alice smiled sweetly next to her.

"What the hell's an instaselfie?" Jake Goodwin asked.

"A selfie on Instagram, duh." She retorted, playing with her phone again.

"Then why don't you just call it a selfie?"

"'Cause then it'd just be a selfie. Not an Instagram selfie. Do you understand, dumbass?"

Jake stared at her for a moment and then opened his mouth to reply.

"Uh, Jake, it's better for all of us if you just let it go." Jerome interrupted.

Jake looked down at the table, shaking his head. His blue highlights glinted in the afternoon sun on his black hair. He jerked his head, his hair flicking across his face.

The five of them sat at a table that was located behind the main school building. Only the teachers knew it was there. They had moved it the first year they started coming to the school.

They were best friends; practically a family.

Andy pulled out a cigarette and held it between his lips, lighting it with his Batman lighter Jerome had bought him a few weeks before. Jerome reached out and took the cigarette from him, taking a drag for himself.

"Buy your own cigarettes." He growled, taking it back.

"But I don't want to." Jerome whined. "I don't have any money anyway."

"Stop spending it on leather jackets then." Andy shrugged.

Jerome sighed and narrowed his eyes at him before announcing in a game show host's voice, "Jerome Clarke's Fashion Tip slash Rule #1: You can never have too many leather jackets."

Alice giggled.

Evelyn pulled out a pack of cigarettes herself and took one, held it out to Jake, who also took one, and then to Alice, completely skipping Jerome. He glared at her as Alice took one as well.

"I thought you were trying to quit," Evelyn spoke, lighting her cigarette.

"No, I got this for my Jerrybear." Alice smiled, handing it to him.

"Thank you, Wallflower; I love you." Jerome voiced, blowing her a kiss.

She giggled again, looking down at her _Hello Kitty_ wristwatch. "It's almost time for class."

"Alright," Andy groaned, rolling his head back and then standing up a few minutes later as they all collected their trash and dumping it in the bin by the corner of the building.

They swung their bags over their shoulders and headed toward the front of the school. Jerome, Andy, Evelyn and Jake trashed their cigarettes before they made it to the front doors, and they entered.

* * *

**Review?**

**If this story does work out, I might make a prequel to it about "The Silent Freaks" as a sort of back story to their friendships. :)**

**"Tomorrow is ending, as fast as I'm spending. Most days, I'm pretending. I'm hyper-extending all my dreams and all my uncertainties onto a speeding train." -Where Did The Time Go, Sick Puppies**

**-Rachel**


	5. Evidence on Fire (Sample)

**So I was inspired by G. I. Joe: Renegades and thought I'd write this... :)**

**I don't own HOA or GIJR. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Sergeant Eddie Miller," Sergeant Patricia Williamson shouted, auburn hair tucked under her hat. She planted a fist on her hip, stopping right behind the man as he turned to her.

He ran a hand through his blonde hair. "Hey, Yacker," he nodded.

Patricia narrowed her green eyes and handed him a folder. "Here, Slimeball, an assignment from above."

"My partner's on leave right now." He pointed out, opening the file and scanning over the documents with the picture attached to the corner of a young woman with black hair and brown eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll find you some new friends." she promised and marched off.

"Corporal," Patricia kicked Mick Campbell's knee and he cried out, rolling out from under the truck he was fixing up.

She handed him his file and left without another word, next destination, the forest beside the military base. From behind a bush, Alfie Lewis stood up. He looked over at her and a grin spread over his dark face.

"Private, what are you doing?" she demanded.

"Being everything I can be." he replied, popping a wild berry in his mouth.

She rolled her eyes and handed him his folder, a smile playing on her pink lips. It was hard for anyone to be serious around Alfie. "Assignment—" she stated, tapping the top of the folder as he opened it. "Don't be late."

She trooped off again, toward the infirmary. She pushed the door open, tapping one of the doctor's on the shoulder. Fabian Rutter turned to her and flicked his brown hair out of his blue eyes.

"An assignment; happy birthday, Private," she handed him the last file and took off once again.

She stopped in the doorway of a bunker when she reached her final destination. "Hey, KT, have fun with the boys."

"Thanks, Trish," Private KT Rush said with a chuckle, taking the folder.

* * *

Eddie looked back at the three other soldiers that had been assigned to the mission and sighed.

"What is that smell?" Mick groaned, plugging his nose and turning away from Alfie.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

Fabian chuckled slightly but took a few steps away from him.

"Thanks for the new friends, Yacker." Eddie grumbled as a helicopter landed a few yards away from them.

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late."

"Oh my, god, someone I know!" Eddie cheered as KT ran up to them.

"Miller, really," she gave him a deadpanned look.

"Really, Rush," he copied her look and they took off for the helicopter, climbing in and taking seats around the woman that sat there, waiting.

"Lieutenant Mara Jaffray," she holding her hand out to Eddie.

"Sergeant Miller," he shook her hand.

"So what's this assignment about? The file didn't give me a lot of info. Mind briefing us?" Eddie said as the helicopter took off, humming through the sky.

"This is a Jackal facility on the east side of London. It produces medicine and other medical supplies for the military." she explained, unfolding a map between her and Eddie.

"Whoa, isn't that a civilian establishment?" KT asked.

"We've been called in to investigate a terrorist threat."

"We're unarmed. What are we supposed to do against terrorists?" Eddie asked.

"We're putting on a show. Big strong army guys go in to make the civilians feel safe. That's it. You don't have to strain your brains; all you're required to do is follow orders."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted as the helicopter landed in the Jackal facility.

They hopped out and walked to the front doors of the facility two by two. When they stopped at the big desk at the end of the empty lobby, the secretary raised her eyebrows.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Army intelligence, I need to speak to your security chief immediately." Mara replied.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"I don't need an appointment." She pulled her military ID out of her pocket and held it up for the woman to see. "Bring your security chief out now."

"One moment please," she said as she stood up. She walked over to a door and slid a security card through the slot and the door opened. Several men rushed out of the elevator, carrying weapons.

"Everyone freeze," one of the men yelled, his eyes hidden by his dark sunglasses.

"Whoa, we're friendlies," Eddie said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"We're investigating a terrorist threat," Mara informed them, holding up her ID again.

"On the ground, lady," another man ordered, pushing on her shoulder.

"Hey, hands off," Eddie snapped.

"Hands behind your heads, all of you,"

"Get that out of my face," Eddie frowned, pushing the gun that one of the men held in front of him.

"Eddie, stand down," Mara ordered. She stepped in between them, pushing on their shoulders. "Both of you stop—" she cried out and fell backwards at the impact of a bolt of energy bashing into her chest from one of the guns.

Eddie ripped the gun out of the man's hands and flung him into another security guard as the other men began shooting at them. Mick grabbed Mara and they all took cover behind the desk, picking up fallen guns on the way.

"Is she alright?" Eddie asked.

"She's in shock," Fabian replied.

Eddie didn't reply as he poked his head over the desk, blasting several shots at the men across from them.

"Sir," one of them called into a walkie-talkie. "We need reinforcements, sir!"

Mara groaned, opening her eyes and clutching a fist over her chest where she had been hit by the laser. "What happened?"

"You alright?"

"It only hurts when I breathe," she said, letting out a slow breath. "What's going on?"

"Our little act wasn't well accepted," he stated.

KT shot several more blasts until she heard the dull click from the barrel. "I'm out!"

"What happens when we all run out?" Alfie asked.

Eddie was about to reply as he looked over the desk again, but fell silent. One of the men went flying across the room. His back smacked into the wall and he slumped to the floor. Behind the group of security guards, a man dressed in black swiftly moved between them. Three of the men fell to the floor, unconscious, and then the man in black turned, pulling two katana off his back. The remaining men shot at him with their guns, but he sliced his swords through the air, successfully blocking each of the energy blasts, and the men fell from getting hit by their own rounds.

He slid his swords into the sheaths on his back and turned as Eddie held a gun to his face, which was completely covered by a black mask.

Mara pushed the gun down. "Snake Eyes is with me."

"Is he a real ninja?" Alfie asked.

"Did you get it?" she asked Snake Eyes and he pulled a handheld device out of one of the many pockets he had on his belt. She took it from him and slid it into her belt. Snake Eyes laid a hand on her shoulder and a held a finger over his mouth. "Someone's coming," she whispered, hearing the elevator on the far right of the room coming down to the floor.

Snake Eyes threw a rope to the ceiling rafters above their heads. He turned and wrapped an arm around Mara's waist and aimed a grappling hook at the ceiling. They rose to the bars as the others climbed up quickly. They remained quiet and completely still as more men rushed into the room, calling out orders.

"Why did he carry her up?" Alfie groaned as they dropped to the floor when the lobby was silent again.

"There was no terrorist threat, _Jaffray_." Eddie scowled. "What's really going on?"

"First, don't call me Jaffray. Second, I'll explain that later. Right now, you guys need to suit up." she instructed, tossing one of the unconscious body guard's helmets at him.

Snake Eyes pulled her to the other side of the room as the boys changed and KT picked up several guns.

"We're running out of time," he stated, throwing a wary glance at the other members of the gang. "And I don't like them."

"You don't like a lot of people," she pointed out. "And I think you're jealous."

"Possessive," he corrected shamelessly.

"Don't worry; we'll be out of here soon. Everything will be alright. Can you get to the controls and find a way to keep us out of as much trouble as possible?" she asked.

He nodded silently and she thanked him, squeezing his gloved hand. She walked back to the group as Alfie and Mick were pulling on their helmets and held out her hands, wrists pressed together. "Handcuff me."

* * *

**Review?**

_**"In the dark, I like to read his mind. But I'm frightened by the things I might find. Oh there must be something he's thinking of to tear him away. When I tell him I'm falling in love, why does he stay?" -Voices Carry ('Til Tuesday Cover), Automatic Loveletter**_

**-Rachel**


	6. Destiny's War (Sample)

**Alright, another sample. This one is about ninja... In Mara's POV. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of metal clashing. As my eyes adjusted to the glare of the sun, they grew wide. Where am I? _Who…_am I? I couldn't remember anything! My eyes flitted to left and I gasped when I realized—this was a battlefield.

Men in armor swung swords and other weapons, fighting off only a couple of men. The armored men wore silver helmets and chainmail. They carried green shields that had a golden lion's head printed on it. Their opponents wore very little armor. But there were only three men, yet they seemed to be conquering the armored men.

I shakily stood up and held a hand to my throbbing head. How am I going to get out of this? But my thoughts were cut short when I noticed a couple of the armored men running towards me.

"A woman! Get her!" one called out to the others.

Without knowing where I was going, I fled to the forest in behind me. I pushed through the trees and glanced back at the men. They were getting closer! My whole body ached; it was getting harder to run, but I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't sure if they were my enemies or not, but I wasn't going to take the chance.

Suddenly, I was pulled to the right and a hand clamped over my mouth as I tried to scream. The men that had been chasing me ran past and I breathed a sigh of relief. But then I remembered I was in the arms of a stranger. I began to struggle. My capturer immediately let me go and I spun around to see the person.

I looked up; he was at least a foot taller than I was. He was dressed like the men on the battlefield. Most of his outfit was dark blue; his trousers, his shirt, his coat, his belt, but his boots were black. Two swords were strapped to his back. His skin was pale and his eyes were an emotionless blue. His hair was blonde and it was swept back from his face.

He stood there, unmoving, silently watching me.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I…don't know." I said weakly.

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Who are you?"

"I don't know." I repeated.

"You don't know your own name?"

"…Mara." I finally answered after a second of thought.

The man sighed. He peeked around the tree we were hidden by before turning back to me. His captivating eyes gazed over my body. I suddenly felt quite self-conscious. I shifted on my feet.

His eyes abruptly snapped away from me and to the trees on my left. In one swift motion, he unsheathed on of his big swords and stepped in front of me, just as a man ran through the trees. I didn't even know this man's name, but he was protecting me. His movements were so clean and smooth, and in a split second, the man that had charged us fell to the ground. And I realized that he was still breathing. He hadn't killed him.

"Thank you," I said again.

My protector looked at me over his shoulder. "By the way you are dressed: you're probably a member of an important family. It's my duty to protect you."

I looked down at my dress. Now that he mentioned it, I was dressed in an elegant gown. I briefly wondered if any of my relatives were still alive before my elbow was seized in the man's hand. He silently pulled my along the trees. I looked up at him in question, but he didn't say anything.

I didn't know who I was or where I was from, but I had a strange feeling that I could trust this man.

* * *

**Review?**

**"All I feel is everything. I can't invent the words to tell you, I never cared for anything. But if you left I'd never let you." -Forevermore, Picture Me Broken**

**-Rachel**


	7. Ashes to Flames (Sample)

**I started writing this story because I had gotten the idea, but it will be turned into an actual novel when I change the names. I wanted it to be an original story, but I found it easier to write when I wrote it as a fanfic. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Athacia _

King John Clarke watched the old Healer anxiously. In his hand, he desperately grasped onto his wife's. Joanne Clarke lay still, sweat covered her face and neck but her fingers were cold in John's hand. The Healer, Myreth, her silver hair pulled into a tight braid, falling down her back, turned to him and swallowed.

"Well," John barked, "What is it? What can you do? I'll get you anything you need."

Myreth took a deep breath, eyes downcast. "Sire, there is no cure for Virdroica—"

"Then beg to that oh-so-powerful goddess that gave you your gift." He spat. "Or I'll have your head."

"Your Majesty, Terav himself created the disease – there is no way to cure it."

The king turned away from her, running a hand through his graying blonde hair.

"She may pass sometime in the night." She whispered. She bowed her head respectfully to the sleeping queen and then to the king.

After she had left the room, John kneeled beside the bed and held Joanne's hand for dear life. "Joan, please," he whispered.

"Myreth," Adam, John's father, acknowledged as she stepped out of the room. "How is she?"

"She has Virdroica. It's a very rare disease that women get only through pregnancy; it was a curse that Terav had laid upon all women that pray to Lafri. I don't believe she will make it through the night, my Lord." She replied and Adam's wife gasped, placing a hand over her heart.

"Maria," he said softly, gripping her shoulders in his gentle hands, and the Healer left without another word.

"Adam, what about Jerome?" she whispered, green eyes flitting to their five year old grandson sleeping in a maid's arms.

"I'll take care of everything." He assured her.

"Sir," a maid huffed, sprinting up to him. "The princess, she's disappeared from her chambers!"

"Maria you stay here. You five," he pointed to guards at the end of the hall, "Guard my wife and grandson with your lives. And you five follow me and alert reinforcements."

Maria scooped Jerome into her arms and cradled him protectively as the five guards surrounded her and the child.

Shouting could be heard from down the hall. Maria pressed her forehead to the side of her grandson face, blinking back tears. She was so focused on blocking out the noise, she barely heard the maid that rushed up to her and fell to her knees.

"My Lady," she began sorrowfully. "The King and Queen are…gone."

Maria had heard her, but she kept her eyes shut tightly, trying to think clearly. After a moment, she spoke, "We must protect the prince. Take him to your room in the servant's quarters."

Jerome stirred, pulling away from her as he rubbed his tired eyes. "Grandmother, where's mummy?"

"Hush, darling," she cooed, stroking his cheek. "Go with Meg; she'll take care of her."

"I want to see my mummy," he protested, squirming as she handed him to the young maid. She didn't get enough of a grip on him though and he dashed to his parents' chamber door. He burst in before the guard could stop him and he ran to the bed. He climbed on and reached for his mother's hand. When his fingers met her cold skin, he shook his father's shoulder. "Daddy, why is mummy cold?" he stared at them both for a moment, confused, and then a guard grabbed him and lifted the boy over his shoulder. "Mummy!" he cried, outstretching his arms as if they'd pull him back. "Daddy!" He called, tears streaming down his face as he was swiftly carried down several hallways until he was crying himself to sleep on a maid's small, uncomfortable bed.

"Adam, where's Poppy?" Maria demanded, clasping her hand around his arm.

"She's not there. But no one had broken in and no one had seen anyone suspicious. We have no idea where to start looking for her." he explained solemnly. He ran a hand over his pale face tiredly. "I should have known something like this would have happened while Joanne was ill. It was the ideal time to strike."

"Adam, they're…no longer with us." she whispered brokenly.

"I know," he bowed his head. "The city felt the loss of their King and Queen. Some Athacians have already fled to other realms with their children."

"Adam, what are we to do? Jerome is not ready to ascend the throne."

"I will take the throne until Jerome's eighteenth birthday." He responded and she nodded in understanding. "It's going to be okay, Maria."

"What about Poppy?"

"I've already sent out several search parties to all the realms. We will find her."

"Who could have done this?"

"I don't know, but it's the beginning of something."

* * *

**Review?**

**"We're born into the night like children of the damned. Our pain will shine a light to those who understand." -Children Surrender, Black Veil Brides**

**-Rachel**


	8. Bring Me The Horizon (Sample)

**Hey! New sample! I really like this one, so I hope you guys do to! I was kind of inspired by bs13's story _I'm a Pirate, You're a Princess _(so go check it out 'cause she's a freaking genius). But it's not the same. It's just pirates. :)**

**I might change the title though...I'm not sure yet.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

With a gasp, Jerome Clarke surfaced the rolling waves of the ocean. Lightening split across the sky and rain poured from the black clouds. He pushed his wet, blonde hair away from his face and watched the _Black Dawn_ sink to the depths of the sea. He breathed heavily and looked around for any sign of his crew. His eyes landed on his First Mate, Alfie Lewis, a few yards away from him. He swam to the dark-skinned man's limp body quickly and wrapped his arm around his waist. He lugged him to a floating piece of ship debris and slung his form over the wooden plank.

Jerome swallowed and looked at Alfie's head—as closely as he could in the rain that pounded into his back—checking for any sign of an injury. When he found that nothing was visible, he tried to ease himself into a relaxed state, but he found it incredibly difficult for several reasons:

First, his ship just sank, and he was several days away from the last port.

Second, he had no food or water.

Third, he wasn't sure if the only crew member he could find was even alive.

He was in deep water. Quite literally, too.

When he felt Alfie stir under his arm, which he was using to hold him up onto the plank, he was flooded with relief. At least he'd have someone to talk to.

And then the rain slowed to a complete stop.

Things were starting to look up.

He sighed, "Alfie, you alright, mate?"

He coughed and nodded, his brown eyes opening slowly and squinting against the harsh sun of the afternoon. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good, what would I do without my Cabin Boy?" he joked.

Alfie gave him a deadpanned look, "Quartermaster."

"Oh right," Jerome nodded, running his fingers through his hair again.

"What are we going to do without a ship?" Alfie asked after a few moments of silence, their bodies bobbing with the waves steadily.

"Nothing; we have to wait for another ship, or swim to the next port."

"But the next port could be miles away. I'm not even sure where we are. The storm might have set us off course, if only slightly."

Jerome stared out at the horizon. According to the sun, they were facing south. If they headed west, they'd be going to the last port they had docked at, which at least four days away by ship. And swimming would lengthen that time immensely. If they went north, they would probably be swimming aimlessly for days before they ever find any sign of land. A ship was their only hope.

"You know me, though," he grinned. "I've got nine lives like a cat."

"And you've used more than twelve in the last six years." Alfie chuckled. "And what about me? You're the one that's got the reputation—I can die!"

"You'll be fine, Alf." Jerome assured him with a pat on the shoulder. "I need you anyway. I need someone to back me up. If we're picked up by a ship, we better hope they don't know who I am. They could kill me, turn me in for some kind of reward, or hold me for ransom."

"So what if the crew on that ship over there recognizes you?"

Jerome's gaze snapped to the left, where Alfie was pointing over the Captain's shoulder. He studied the vessel for several minutes, and as it grew closer, he shook his head. "It's a Spanish ship. My reputation is well known to Spaniards, but my face may be unidentifiable."

"Let's hope," Alfie sighed, and they raised their hands, calling out to the ship.

* * *

Alfie rested his forehead against the cold bars of the gate that led to the brig. On the other side of the door, the Spanish captain walked away, leaving the small room in silence.

Jerome leaned against the wall behind Alfie and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, this is better than being killed, right?"

"But we're going to be held here for at least a few months. They're sailing back to Spain. Who knows if they'll even give us food? I've never been in the brig before—Jerome, what do we do?"

"Alfie," Jerome said firmly, grabbing his shoulders. "The first thing you need to do is calm down. Don't get so worked up over little things like this. We'll be fine. Have faith in me, mate."

Alfie took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Alright, I-I can do that. Jerome?"

"Yes, Alfred?"

"What happens if this ship sinks?"

Jerome groaned.

* * *

Jerome stood up and looked out the porthole. He didn't bother trying to get it open, the glass was nailed shut and there was nothing to pry it off with. The salty water splashed up onto the window and the view to the sea was blurred momentarily. Running his fingers through his hair and closing his blue eyes briefly, he turned to Alfie as he paced. "Alfred."

"Jerome, it's been four days. What are we going to do? At least we're being fed. But…how are we going to find…" Alfie lowered his voice to a whisper, his eyes cautiously drifting to the guard that stood beside the door, "How are we going to find, um…Ruby?"

"Don't you think I've been trying to figure that out? I haven't stopped thinking about her in weeks." Jerome sighed.

"Hey, where's your ring?" Alfie hissed.

Jerome looked out the porthole again and folded the cuff of his long sleeve shirt back, revealing a small, barely visible pocket sewn into the fabric. "I've got Amber to thank for that."

Alfie grinned, running a hand over his head. "Got a plan yet?"

Jerome smirked, eyeing the horizon. "If I know pirates, then yes, I do have a plan. Of sorts."

* * *

When the brig door swung open, Jerome and Alfie shot up off the floor. The pirate that unlocked the gate smirked, tossing them a couple swords. "Coming?" he asked, and didn't wait for an answer as he rushed onto the deck.

Jerome arched an eyebrow at Alfie and his First Mate shook his head in amazement. He was right again.

The blonde was the first out of the cell and climbed to the deck. On his way, he passed a few dead crew members. He grabbed a pistol from one of them, tucking it into the waistband of his brown pants, and thrust his sword into the chest of a Spaniard. On the deck, chaos had taken over and most of the Spanish crew was dead.

Jerome barely noted that the pirates had several female crew members, before he sprang into action, focusing his attention on several Spaniards that charged him. In several slices, they lay dead at his feet, and he searched the pirates and sailors for the Captain of the pirate ship.

Across the deck of the Spanish boat, Jerome spotted the blonde.

"Jerome, what's the plan now?" Alfie asked.

"We go with that ship and join the crew." He shrugged as if it was obvious, brushing through the disorder as if he was taking a walk in a park.

"But…is that really a good idea—" Alfie cried out in sudden pain when a sword speared his chest. He collapsed onto the deck and Jerome killed the Spanish captain in pure anger.

Jerome knelt beside Alfie and swung his arm over his shoulders. "You moron," he chuckled teasingly. He wasn't trying to make Alfie feel better; he was trying to prevent himself from panicking as he hauled his best friend toward the edge of the ship.

"Is he okay?"

Jerome looked over his shoulder at a dark-skinned woman as she rushed up to them. She took Alfie's other arm and they slowly walked across the plank that had been used to make a bridge between the two ships. Alfie coughed violently, blood dribbling down his chin.

"I'll go get our medic." The woman said, rushing off, and Jerome sat beside Alfie where they had set him on the deck of the ship, _The Shadow of Ra._

Jerome barely heard the captain call out for everyone to head back to their ship with whatever they had taken from the Spanish vessel. The Spanish ship was slowly sinking, the masts burning.

The crew was cheering, but Jerome was breathing heavily, waiting for that girl to hurry up and find the medic as Alfie struggled for breath beside him.

"This is Fabian, our Boatswain and medic." The woman introduced, finally appearing.

Fabian knelt beside Alfie and began examining the wound. Jerome stood up when the captain walked up behind the woman.

"Let's go, KT." He said and she nodded, jogging off to her post at the wheel, steering away from the wreckage. The captain fingered the handle of his sword. "Captain Eddie Miller."

Jerome took a deep breath. "Jerome."

Eddie's green eyes narrowed. "What ship did you sail on, Jerry?"

Jerome's eyes hardened at his condescending tone. "_The North Star_."

Fabian stood up and tapped Jerome's shoulder. "Your friend will be okay, but we need to get him down to the quarters."

Jerome breathed out in relief and helped take Alfie down to the bunks.

Eddie followed. "What happened to _the North Star_?"

Jerome turned to the captain, following him as he made his way out of the quarters. "It sank a few days ago in a storm."

Eddie nodded, leading him to his quarters. He sat at his desk and propped his feet onto the wood. "What was your position on _the North Star_?"

"Striker," Jerome lied easily.

Eddie nodded. "And your friend?"

"Alfie was a Cabin Boy."

"I could use one of those, as well as a new Striker."

"Where's this ship headed?" Jerome asked.

"Somewhere you need to be?" Eddie retorted.

"No, just wondering," Jerome shrugged and left the quarters without another word. Once he stepped onto the deck, he was met by a woman with auburn hair.

"Quartermaster Patricia Williamson," she stated. "I'm assuming the Slimeball gave you a job?"

Jerome arched an eyebrow.

"That's KT Rush the Ship Master, whom you've already met. That's Mick Campbell, our Master Gunner. And you've already met our Boatswain and the Captain. Do what you want, but don't do anything stupid." She ordered.

Jerome gritted his teeth. "I was just going to check on my friend, if you don't mind?"

She shrugged, stalking off.

Jerome sighed quietly and hurried down to the quarters where Alfie was resting.

* * *

**Review?**

**"Oh, this air is thinner than I had remembered. And I can't remember a time when I felt the way I do now. Oh, this air is easy for you to breathe in. You've been so perfectly molded and you only saw what you do." -Breathless, June Divided**

**-Rachel**


	9. Hush (Sample)

**Jara, always Jara.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jerome Clarke ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His wife stood before him, hands on her hips as she glared a hole right through him.

"Are you cheating on me?" she demanded.

"No," he groaned. "And the fact that you suspect me of cheating on you makes me think that you're being paranoid because _you're_ cheating on _me_."

"Would you care if I was?" she snapped.

"No, I wouldn't, and would you like to know why?"

"Tell me," she ordered, her dark eyebrows arching in question.

"I—" he stopped suddenly when the front door of the house opened.

"Dad, mum," their thirteen year old daughter Angela called through the house.

"Hey, sweetie, how was school?" Joy asked, shooting Jerome one last glare as she strutted out of the master bedroom.

Jerome stared at the wall in front of him coldly, though he wasn't actually looking at it. He remained still for a moment before breathing out a slow breath, fixing his tie, and leaving the room. When he made it to the bottom of the staircase, he found Joy putting dinner on the dining room table with Angela sitting across from her little brother, Devin.

"Hey, dad," the eleven year old smiled, fiddling with his fork.

"Hey, son, how's it going?" he ruffled the boy's shaggy, blonde hair and sat in his chair.

"Good, I got an A on my maths test." Devin grinned, digging into his supper once Joy had sat across from Jerome.

They met each other's eyes for a brief moment. Blue on brown. Jerome used to love the color brown, but when he thought about it, he never liked the color of Joy's eyes; muddy and dull.

"Angie, how was your drama rehearsal?" Jerome asked, looking down at his plate.

"Great," she smiled nervously, and Jerome attempted to catch her blue eyed gaze.

"They practiced the kissing scene today." Devin said in disgust, faking throwing up.

"Kissing scene," Jerome said, "Who said anything about a kissing scene?"

"Daddy, we're doing _Aladdin_," she said as if that announcement explained everything.

"Oh well, that makes everything better, doesn't it," he grumbled.

"Jerome, let it go." Joy spoke up. "She's thirteen. She can kiss a boy if she wants to."

"Not if she's my daughter." He retorted.

"She's my daughter too." She reminded.

"As if I didn't know that…darling." He smiled falsely, attempting to silently convince their children that the argument wasn't real, when it was a real problem.

* * *

Jerome watched silently as a drop of moisture ran down the side of his beer bottle. And then his eyes flitted up to the next one, but he stopped it with his fingers as he gripped the bottle and lifted it to his lips, taking a long drink.

Is this what his life had come to? Fighting with his wife, begging for a divorce, pretending to be happy for their children, and drinking every night while his family thought he had to work? He sighed heavily, dragging a hand over his face.

He looked around the bar. He spotted the same people he saw every night. Nothing was different. Nothing caught his attention. But still...

His breath caught in his throat. His heart skipped several beats. His hands began to shake.

And then, their eyes met. Blue on brown. Suddenly, Jerome remembered why he always loved the color brown. Joy's eyes were muddy and dull, but Mara's…oh, Mara Jaffray…her eyes were a beautiful chocolate with swirls of caramel.

She froze in the doorway of the bar when she saw him. She was only snapped out of her shock when her shoulder was bumped as a man pushed past her. She moved away from the doorway, into an empty corner.

And not a single moment did Jerome's eyes leave her.

Her eyes drifted away from him. They roamed over the bar in search of Patricia Miller, but when she didn't see her friend, she was suddenly thankful. She tightened her grip on the strap of her purse and turn toward the door, but she ran into someone's chest.

Jerome's hands grabbed Mara's shoulders to keep her steady when she ran into him and she looked up at him, embarrassment coloring her tan cheeks.

Jerome was absolutely mesmerized. He didn't think about his wife. He didn't think about his children. He didn't think about his life. He knew it was mean, but this was _Mara Jaffray_. Who would think about anything else when she was standing in front of you looking just as beautiful and innocent as ever?

"Jerome," she murmured. She made no move to step out of his hold, and for that he was thankful.

He couldn't even imagine what it would feel like if he let her go again. He had made such a mistake in high school and that had cost him so much. Granted, he'd been blessed with a couple of pretty amazing kids, but his marriage was falling apart and he couldn't remember the last time he had smiled—really smiled.

"Jaffray," he breathed with a small smile.

"Hi," she giggled.

"Hi," he repeated.

"Jerome, are you okay?" she asked.

"Never been better." He replied.

"What…what are you doing here?"

Jerome blinked and began to lead her to the bar. "Buying you a drink."

Mara blushed, sitting beside him at the bar, and the bartender stepped over, asking for their orders.

Jerome's eyes flitted to Mara in silent amusement. "She will have a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri."

"A regular strawberry daiquiri would be great, thank you." She corrected him. "And he will have an _Angry Orchard_ crisp apple cider."

As the bartender fetched their drinks, Jerome raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You've grown up, Fun Size."

Mara rolled her eyes. "And you haven't changed at all, Hairspray."

Jerome chuckled, thanking the bartender when the drinks were set in front of them. He took a sip of his cider and looked over at Mara again. "Yeah, I guess I just haven't had a reason to change." He paused. "You're still so beautiful."

Mara met his eyes shyly and sipped from her refreshing drink. "You're still a charmer."

Jerome smiled softly. "How's life?"

"Good," she nodded. "I just moved down here because I got a job at the hospital."

"A doctor," he licked his thin lips. "I always knew. I…I never lost any faith in what you could be—in who you could be."

"I know."

Jerome took a deep breath. "So are you married?"

* * *

Jerome was in heaven. Pure heaven. And he was only half way there. He let Mara pull away from him as she unlocked her apartment door. He pushed her hair away from her neck and dipped his head, kissing her soft skin, his hands exploring her sides. When the door was open, he spun her around to press her chest to his before she even had a chance to do it herself. Their lips met again.

When they were in the apartment, Jerome kicked the door shut and he lost his blazer while Mara's jacket was quickly removed. Sinking his long fingers into her raven hair, he broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "Oh, god, I've missed you." Then, he was being pushed backward, and when the back of his legs hit a bed, he turned the tables, pushing Mara down beneath him. The kiss broke again.

They stared at each other for a moment. Mara bit her lip and ran her fingers through his blonde bangs while Jerome's hands slipped under her blouse.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered.

"I…" Insecurely, she looked away from him, suddenly overthinking what was happening.

Jerome gripped her chin and brought her lips back to his. The passion in this kiss change entirely from the one before: the last had been fast and burning with lust, but this was slow, gentle, loving, perfect—Jerome and Mara.

Jerome had considered his family—once—and the only thing he thought had been, _Joy's cheating, so why can't I?_

* * *

**Review?**

**"Look at your demise and understand this, life is just life and death will bring us all together someday. You will strip away vestures of a culture filled with hate and art, then restyle your durable skeleton form, which has been disintegrated and transforming before your very eyes. The scars will be burned away, the scars left by the cruelty of life's surgeon and it will recreate you through an unblushing savagery of your own talent. William, you will reveal a capacity to shock, to startle lifeless ones from their profound slumber, rousing them from their lethargy with a refreshed awakening." -Illuminator, William Control  
**

**Wow, that was a lot, but...I love that speech, which was Andy Biersack from Black Veil Brides. :') He's got such a great voice for making speeches and stuff.**

**-Rachel**


	10. Like a Knife (Sample)

**Hey!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

In the shadows, he felt secure. Safe. Powerful. He could watch anyone. Follow anyone. Kill anyone.

But only in the shadows.

And that's where he was. He leaned back in the wooden chair, his face covered by a shadow, but his eyes were a haunting blue in the pale full moon that shone through the small window.

The man that had him brought to this small, secluded room sat across from him. Two tall, strong men stood on either side of him. He reached into his striped blue and white blazer, pulling out a wad of crisp bills.

"One million," he said in a low voice.

He reached for the money, but the Italian pulled it back quickly.

"After she is dead."

Arching an eyebrow, the assassin smirked. "She?"

"She put me in jail. She made me look like a fool and an amateur. She must be taken care of before it happens again. I have very important plans and she must not interfere."

"Why can't you do it?"

"I do not want to get my hands dirty. Will you do it?"

"Of course." He replied without a second thought. "What's her name?"

* * *

"Mara Jaffray," Nina Martin hissed warningly on the other line. "I swear if you even think about trying to scare me to death, I will ban you from being my best friend."

Mara laughed lightly, standing on the sidewalk, trying to wave down a taxi. "Nina, when do I ever _try_ to scare you? I don't do it on purpose."

"Yeah, you only get in major trouble because it happens to everyone."

"I'm a journalist. It's a dangerous job sometimes—I've explained this before. And Fabian has as well, I'm sure."

"Maybe once or twice," Nina sighed. "Mara just go straight home, please? Don't get sidetracked."

"I never get sidetracked."

"Unless you've got a story to cover, so don't run into a story. Promise?"

Mara smiled. "Promise. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright, if I don't hear from you by eight, I'm calling the cops!"

"Stop worrying," Mara said in amusement, hanging up. She huffed when the fourth taxi she tried to catch skidded right by her. She turned around, about to continue down the street, when she ran into someone. She was steadied by two hands on her shoulders, and she looked up. Her eyes met his and her heart jumped into her throat. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Jerome Clarke smiled suavely, hands remaining on her shoulders, "Not every day I run into a beautiful woman."

Mara felt a blush climb up her cheeks and let out a breathy laugh in embarrassment.

"In fact, it's entirely my fault." He continued, his hands slipping from her shoulders slowly. He ran a hand through his perfect blonde hair and Mara's knees began to weaken. "I was taking a walk and I saw you across the street. You're breathtaking. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. I hope I'm not out of line."

"Oh, oh no, you-you're fine." She smiled, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear.

His smile morphed into a grin that made Mara's heartbeat increase rapidly. "It wouldn't be too much if I asked you out for a drink, would it?"

She shook her head immediately, not trusting herself to form a coherent sentence at this point. She took his arm when he offered it to her and he led her to the bar a few blocks away.

* * *

Mara breathed out slowly as Jerome laid her gently on his bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed down her neck gently. His fingers slipped under the fabric of her white tank top and pushed it up her stomach while he pulled away from her neck. He continued to explore her body with one hand as he used the other to support himself, leaning down to press his lips to hers again.

Jerome clenched his eyes shut tightly; chanting to himself not to get lost in such a kiss as she shyly ran her fingers over his face, leaving his skin burning in her wake. He pushed more into the kiss, but only to distract her, and with a flick of his wrist, he held a sharpened dagger. His grip tightened on the handle when Mara suddenly let out such a delicious sound that he almost forgot why he was straddling her hips in his bed. He twirled the knife in his hand, forcing himself to just do it.

"Wait," she breathed, and his hand froze, the tip of the dagger only inches from her side. She looked up at him and her sparkling brown eyes met his blue ones. "At least tell me who wants me dead and why?"

Jerome blinked. She knew? How?

"Please, just tell me who and why?"

And he was still confused. No one had ever asked that question. Why did she want to know? She was a journalist, so she wanted the story and she was naturally curious, but…why would she want to know if she was about to die? She knew she wasn't going to leave this apartment alive, so why would she want to know such an unimportant detail to this whole thing?

He chuckled suddenly, a malicious smirk curling his thin lips, and chill ran down Mara's spine—and she couldn't decipher whether it was a good chill or a bad chill. "Didn't your parents ever tell you not to talk to strange—?"

His sentence was cut off suddenly when he was hit over the head by the brass figurine Mara held in her hand. His head fell onto her chest and she pushed him off her. He collapsed onto the mattress and she sat up, breathing in and out slowly to calm her heart rate down. She was almost killed. And he really knew how to keep her distracted…

She set the figurine back down on the nightstand and picked up her sweater off the floor. As she was leaving the room, the dagger he held glinted in the moonlight. She picked up the apartment phone and dialed 911.

* * *

"Morning, Mara," Fabian smiled as she walked by him to get to her office, and he followed her. "You know Nina's going crazy."

"Oh my, gosh, I forgot to call her." Mara realized, sitting at her desk. "I knew there was something."

"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it." he assured her. "So did you hear about that anonymous call to the authorities last night?"

Mara looked up from her laptop and shook her head silently.

"Someone told the police where to find a murderer or assassin. But when they got there, no one was there, the apartment was empty, and according to one of the employees, that apartment hadn't been lived in for a few months."

Mara thought a moment. "Wow."

"Yeah, so either it was a prank call, or this assassin is good," Fabian said with a shake of his head.

Mara didn't reply, mentally slapping herself for not considering that he was a professional—and that she had never learn his name, she realized suddenly—and a moment later, Fabian had to take a call in his office and left her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

**Review?**

**"Baby, it's been a long day, baby. Things ain't been going my way. You know I need you here, here by my side, all of the time. And, baby, the way you move me, it's crazy. It's like you see right through me. You make it easier." -You Are The Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne**

**-Rachel**


	11. Tangled in the Great Escape (Sample)

**Hey!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jerome Clarke stared blankly at the mirror in front of him as he tapped his fingers on the table he sat at. He reached up and ran a hand through his blonde hair. He needed hair gel more than anything right now.

Well, maybe he could use a good attorney as well.

The door to the room opened and Jerome's eyes snapped away from the mirror. The guard, Mick, Jerome recalled, stepped in and made way for a short woman with tan skin.

"This is Mara Jaffray, your attorney." Mick stated. He turned to Mara. "I'll be right outside if you need anything."

She nodded in response and reluctantly, he left the room.

Jerome watched her move to sit across from him. His eyes flitted back to the mirror. "I said I couldn't afford an attorney." He said in a monotone. He had spoken to the officers he knew were standing behind the one-way mirror, but Mara replied as if she thought he had said that to her,

"The city assigns you an attorney if you can't afford or find one for yourself."

Jerome looked at her and sighed.

"So first things first," she started, "Do you want to plead innocent or guilty? If you plead innocent, you won't make it very far because of the evidence that's against you, while pleading guilty will probably get you six years, five at the least."

Jerome remained silent.

"Mr. Clarke, nothing of what you say will be held against you. But if you tell me what happened on the night of June 1st, it could shorten your sentence by a couple of years."

Jerome watched the mirror. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's not the right time."

Mara eyed him curiously. "Is it because of the officers?"

"One of the reasons." He replied quietly.

Mara took a deep breath. "Could you tell me what's going on if we were alone?"

"The room's bugged." He stated.

Mara pressed her lips together and nodded. "What if the room wasn't bugged? We were alone and I was the only one who knew what you were saying?"

Jerome's blue eyes searched her brown ones. "Maybe."

"I'll see what I can do." She said after a moment of silent and stood up, closing her briefcase and knocking on the door so she could be let out.

* * *

"Mara, what are you doing?" Patricia Williamson asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't believe that he just…_did_ it." Mara shrugged. "He should have had a reason."

"Not everyone has a reason for murdering someone, Mara." Eddie Miller cut in, running a hand over his face.

"Eddie, Patricia," Mara sighed, "Please, just trust me on this?"

"He's not innocent, you know." Patricia reminded.

"I know that, but I think he might be able to shorten his sentence, or allow parole to be an option, or maybe give him community service instead." Mara explained.

"Mara, this guy can't be trusted. He's a criminal." Eddie said.

"Why do you always have to look for the good in people?" his partner demanded with a roll of her green eyes.

"I guess that's just who I am. Now I want him to be put under house arrest at my place."

"Mara, that's dangerous!" Eddie protested, standing from his chair.

"It'll be fine. Just put the house on twenty-four hour surveillance, put a security system in so only I can leave, and have someone check up on me every day—but I will not allow the place to be fixed with cameras or any of the rooms to be bugged. I can do this, guys. I believe that he won't hurt me. And if I'm wrong—"

"You're dead." Patricia stated bluntly.

"And I'd have learned my lesson." Mara retorted.

Eddie and Patricia locked eyes for a moment before Patricia turned away and Eddie sighed.

"Fine," he said reluctantly.

* * *

Mara unlocked the front door of her house and opened the door, stepping into the foyer and allowing room for Jerome to follow with Mick and Eddie on either side of him. Jerome remained silent as Mick unlocked his handcuffs.

"Alright, Clarke," Eddie began. "The house will be watched by an officer twenty-four-seven, so don't try anything. When you open any of the windows or doors leading outside, a silent alarm will go off and the cops will be here in less than four minutes. If you attempt an escape, you'll be in a cell before you can say shit—"

"Eddie," Mara said warningly.

"Sorry, Mara," he mumbled, he walked over to the front door. "Activate the alarm as soon as we shut the door. Come on, Mick."

"Be careful, Maraculous." Mick smiled, squeezing her shoulder, and leaving with Eddie.

As Jerome looked around, Mara activated the alarm system through the remote around her neck.

"Why are you doing this?"

Mara jumped when he spoke and looked up at him, towering over her. "I don't believe that you would just kill someone." She replied after a moment of silence.

"Why?"

"Because there's good in everyone—"

"Oh," he laughed humorlessly, scratching the back of his neck. "You're one of those people."

"One of those people?" she demanded.

"You know, you see the good in everyone, even when it's not there."

Mara slipped her blazer off her shoulders and hung it on the coatrack. "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

He followed her and she led him to the second floor of the old house. She opened the first door in the hallway and he stepped into the bedroom with her.

"The bathroom's at the end of the hall." she handed him a notepad and a pen. "Write down a list of things you need from the store; clothes, shoes, shampoo, and so on, and I'll have someone get them for you. The city will provide it. I don't think you want to wear that thing for the next few weeks."

"Orange isn't really my color." He agreed, pushing down on the bed. He walked over to the window and looked down at the bus stop. He smirked in amusement. "The bus left an hour ago. Does that cop _think_ he's undercover?"

Mara pressed her lips together, holding back a small laugh, and heading to the door. "You have the run of the house. Would you like to call any family members or friends?"

Jerome chuckled, looking at her over his shoulder. "Nice try. I have no family. I have no friends. I prefer to cut all ties before anything gets out of hand, so you can screw the idea of tracking down any ex-girlfriends."

"Good, the phone's bugged and Eddie's ready to track any calls you make anyway." She smiled slightly. She sighed, closing the door behind her, "Let me know if you need anything."

* * *

**Review?**

**GO VOTE THE POLL AND I'LL START A NEW STORY SOON!**

**"This is not what I want, but now it's what I need. Can I have one more taste just to make it through the day? You're tangled in the great escape, great escape." -Tangled In The Great Escape, Pierce The Veil**

**-Rachel**


	12. A Second Chance: Chapter 29 (Sneak Peek)

**Here's a sneak peek to Chapter 28 of A Second Chance since I haven't been able to get to writing it. I've been painting my parent's bedroom, so I haven't had much time to do any writing lately. I'll try to get writing later today. :)**

**So enjoy a brief Michael/Emily moment. **

***Also, let me know that if I did more sneak peeks, do you want me to post a sneak peek to the next chapter, or future chapters?***

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Michael huffed in annoyance and pushed his hair out of his eyes again. It had been bugging him all day. He had run out of hair gel and he had only realized it after he took his shower after PE. So his hair had dried and it flopped in a way he wasn't used to. He planted his elbow on the table and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand while his fingers held his bangs out of his eyes.

He dropped his hand to hold the corner of the notebook as he erased something he wrote, and then swept his bangs away from his eyes again. They flopped back down and before he could react, Emily had stood up while dripping some water out of a bottle into her hand. She reached across the table and ran her fingers through his hair, effectively slicking his hair back with the water.

He looked up at her, shocked. And then he masked his expression, replacing it with a questioning gaze as she avoided his eyes and picked up her shark book.

"Your fidgeting was making me nervous," was her explanation, and they fell silent once again.

* * *

**GO VOTE ON MY POLL AND I'LL START A NEW STORY!**

**"And I remember that day that saved us. The way you kissed me and the salt, it filled filled my eyes. And we remember our California; the night we slept along the shore and washed away..." -The Day That Saved Us, Automatic Loveletter**

**-Rachel**


	13. YSKMWYHTC (Sample)

**Hey! New sample- I'm going to leave really quick. I have a parade to get to. Happy Independence Day!**

**Title: You Should've Killed Me When You Had The Chance**

**VOTE THE POLL AND I'LL START A NEW STORY ON MONDAY!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jerome Clarke straightened his skinny black tie and lifted his arm. With a simple pull of the pistol trigger, the security camera was smashed. He pulled his mask over his face, designed to look like the eyes and mouth were stitched shut. He crouched in front of the door and picked the lock in a few seconds. He motioned for his partners to follow him into the back door of the jewelry store. He instantly took out another security camera and hit a guard over the head with the hilt of his gun.

Mick Campbell, his face covered with a mask that looked like a clown with a devilish smile, burst into the security office. He shot the officer that pull his gun, and hit the second on with his rifle's hilt. He flipped through the security cameras feed and gave the all clear to his teammates.

"Everyone on the ground. You two," Eddie Miller, wearing a skull mask, ordered the man and woman behind the counter. "Don't touch those panic buttons or it'll cost you more than your jobs." When he saw that only a couple people had knelt onto the ground, covering their heads, he shot the ceiling. "Get down!"

Alfie Lewis, the last of the team members, his mask a plain, smooth gray with two eyeholes, broke the glass cases while Eddie locked the doors and Mick came in, tying the civilians' wrists to keep them still.

And then suddenly the sirens in the store shrilled to life, a red light flashing around the room.

"Lewis, what did you touch?" Eddie demanded.

"Nothing," the dark-skinned man defended himself, raising his hands to be level with his shoulders.

"No, it was her." Jerome spat, pulling a young girl out from beneath the counter. "On the floor, sweetheart."

Mick tied her wrists and Eddie sighed, looking out the window. "Cops are here."

"Lewis, Campbell, fill the bags. And see if you can find anything valuable in the offices upstairs." Jerome ordered, peeking out the wide front windows. Several patrol cars surrounded the front of the building, officers darting out of their seats and aiming their guns at the entrance. Jerome cursed under his breath and called up the stairs to the office while Eddie was busy hauling a duffle back out the back door to their van, "You guys ready? We're running out of time."

"Coming," Mick said, jogging down the stairs.

Jerome swung the last duffle over his shoulder and made his way to the doorway right as Eddie hurried in, hiding behind the wall as guns were fired from the side of the building.

He breathed out heavily. "There's a ton of cops on both sides of the building. We're completely surrounded.

Jerome swore again and then motioned to the civilians. "Grab some hostages; those three girls over in the corner."

The three nodded, taking each of them by the arm and holding their guns to the girls' heads as they made their way out of the building after Jerome.

"Hold your fire; they've got hostages!" one of the officers called out.

Jerome chuckled behind his mask, tossing his bag into the back of the blue van and climbed into the front seat while the others hopped into the back. And without a single shot from one of the cops as they sped away, Jerome should have considered that as a warning.

* * *

When they pulled up the dirt path to their safe house, Fabian Rutter was standing in the garage, awaiting their arrival. When Jerome got out of the van, his mask already removed from his face, Fabian jogged over to him.

"How'd it go?" he asked.

"Great, I think we wiped out the whole store and—" his blue eyes widened when they landed on Eddie, hauling one of the girls from the jewelry store out of the back of the van. "You idiot!"

Eddie looked up in shock, his mask now gone. "What?"

"Wh-why did you take her with us, man? You moron!" he looked into the back of the van where Mick and Alfie sat with the other two. "I didn't know stupidity rubs off, dipshits!"

"Guys," Fabian murmured in realization, running his fingers through his brown bangs.

"What did we do wrong? You told us to take hostages!" Alfie protested.

"I didn't say to kidnap them, mate!" Jerome snapped, stressfully dragging his hands through his blonde hair.

"Well what did you mean?" Mick quizzed, stepping up to him, even though he was a full head shorter than Jerome.

"I meant that you use them so we could get to the van and then get away. I didn't say anything about bringing them here, meathead. Now, we have three unconscious women on our hands that we have to find a way to get rid of."

"Why don't we just leave them on the side of a random street?" Alfie asked.

"Too late, they're coming to." Fabian sighed, eyeing them.

"Put them in the guest room." Jerome instructed the others and stormed off toward the house.

* * *

Patricia Williamson was the first of the three girls that regained consciousness. She sat up, rubbing the back of her throbbing head, looking around.

The first thing she noticed was that the room was painted a bright, pumpkin orange that made her head hurt even more.

The second thing she noticed was that the room was unfamiliar.

The third thing she noticed was that her friends were lying beside her on the king-size bed.

She reached over and shook Joy Mercer's shoulder. "Joy, wake up." she hissed, and then shook Mara Jaffray's shoulder. "Mara…"

"Patricia, what…" Joy mumbled, trying to roll onto her back, but bumped into Mara.

Mara stirred awake and pushed her raven hair away from her face, sitting up and looking around groggily. "Where are we?"

"I don't know, but I can't hear anything." Patricia whispered, moving to the cream colored door and pressing her ear to it. "Yeah, maybe we're alone. Maybe we can get out of here."

"Then let's go." Joy nodded. "Wait," she rubbed her temples slowly. "Where are we again?"

"I don't know, Joy." Patricia said with a roll of her green eyes, but immediately regretted the action when it caused a shock of pain in her forehead. She sighed, stroking her forehead and then straightening slowly, leaning her back on the door. "Mara, what do you think?"

Mara stared out the window. "We're in the woods. That makes it a bit difficult to decipher where we are. But I have a feeling it has to do with those men that grabbed us at the jewelry store."

"Oh my, gosh, we were kidnapped!" Joy squeaked. "What do we do? How do we escape? Who has their phone? Where's my purse?"

"Calm down," Jerome sighed behind his mask, pushing the door open.

Patricia backed away, glowering at him.

"Don't give me that look," he chuckled, leaning against the now closed door, his hands in his pockets. "It's not like I wanted to kidnap you."

"What?" Joy demanded.

"My partners are idiots." He mumbled, dragging his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry you don't have your purses, I had to take them and make sure there were no weapons. Any other questions?"

"Where are we?" Mara asked.

"A safe house," he replied.

"And why are we here?" Patricia snapped.

"Because my partners are idiots—I told you that already." Jerome scoffed.

"Are you going to kill us?" Joy asked cautiously.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it already."

"When can we leave?" Patricia questioned.

"You don't want to stay here?" he gasped mockingly. Before she could retort, he continued, "Don't worry, I'm not going to keep you here. You're free to leave any time you wish."

The three women watched him carefully as he opened the door and walked out of the room silently. After a moment to ponder what he said, they made their way to the door, but before they could make it out, Jerome had appeared in the doorway, blocking the way with his body.

"But you're going to have to swear that you won't yack to the police." He stated. "I can't let you go until you promise. And if you lie and do tell the police, we'll have to kill you. I don't like killing civilians, more specifically women, but I will do it if it's absolutely necessary."

Patricia nodded. "Alright, we swear, now move."

"You two," he arched an eyebrow at Joy and Mara.

"Don't worry," Mara said with a shake of her head.

"You've got it, just don't kill me," Joy said in a rush.

"You may pass," he smirked behind his mask and they marched past him.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Eddie asked, watching Mick and Alfie drag the unconscious women out of the van and to the side of the road.

"Don't worry about it, mate." Jerome mumbled, resting his arms on the steering wheel. "I know what I'm doing."

"Are you sure about that? I know you think you're the brains of the gang, but you make some pretty bad decisions sometimes."

"Don't bring my mistakes to my attention, Edison." Jerome growled, sitting back in his seat with a frown. "I know what I'm doing. It'll be fine. They won't say anything."

* * *

**Review?**

**So when I had posted the sample, I had done it really quick and I decided to fix it. :)**

**"I'm not scared to bleed, when you're hurting me. I cannot believe you made me love myself. Leave your mark on me so I don't forget what you did to me. How I lost the voice inside my head that tells me not to let go. I'm ugly 'till you fuck me..." -Leave Your Mark, Stars In Stereo**

**(Excuse the language ;)**

**-Rachel**


	14. In a Matter of Time (Sample)

**Yay, another sample! :P**

**So this takes place a few years after Sibuna graduated from high school. They ended up loosing touch and stuff so...ya...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Congratulations! _

_You are our one and only lucky winner to receive an all-expense paid vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii! You will receive three round-trip airline tickets for you and two friends, plus a 3-day/2-night weekend getaway at hotel Mānana._

_We can't wait to see you here!_

_Aloha!_

* * *

"This is going to be so fantastic." Mara Jaffray smiled, breathing in deeply and basking in the warmth of the sun that hung over the small Hawaiian island. Fingering the purple lei she had received at the airport, she turned back to Fabian Rutter as he hauled their luggage out of the trunk of the rented car. "Of course, it's a shame we had to waste that third ticket, but this is such an opportunity! We can study the vegetation, the animals, the bugs, and the weather—"

"Mara," Fabian laughed, grabbing her shoulders and stopping her from jumping around. "I know you're excited about the science on the island, but why don't we relax from the flight first?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded silently.

A smile tugged at the corners of the brunette's lips as he locked the car. Mara grabbed one of her bags, and Fabian insisted on carrying the rest until she gave in rather reluctantly. They climbed the steps to the hotel and stepped into the lobby.

It was a small hotel, more like a bed and breakfast, but the appearance was beautiful. The exterior had been made of dark wood from the trees that climbed the volcano. The hotel had been built on the base of the volcano, overlooking the ocean, and off into the horizon, Honolulu could be seen. The interior of the hotel was filled with flowers from the island and wooden furniture sitting on hardwood floors that were protected by thick, deep green rugs.

Fabian set the baggage next to the front desk and a young Hawaiian woman popped up from behind the desk, startling Mara and Fabian briefly.

Mara placed a hand over her heart and chuckled.

Fabian smiled, handing their invitation over to the woman. "We won a couple free nights here. I'm Fabian Rutter, and this is Mara Jaffray."

"Oh, of course, I'm Nalani," she smiled, "Aloha, and welcome to Mānana Hotel. Let me show you to your rooms."

"Thank you," Mara smiled, following her to the stairs, and Fabian followed.

They climbed to the first of two more floors and she unlocked one of the doors down the wide hallway. "And the other room is connected to this one. Here are the keys," she handed one to both of them. "If you need anything, just give me a call."

"Thank you," Fabian nodded.

"I'll take the other room," Mara informed him, unlocking the door that joined the rooms.

As they unpacked, they left the door open, and Fabian called out to her, "What do you want to do first?"

"Well…"

"Let me rephrase that: what would you like to study first?" he asked teasingly.

"Are you implying I don't know how to have fun on a holiday?" she asked, poking her head into his room, her raven hair falling behind her.

"N-no," he shook his head quickly. "I-I was just…"

She laughed. "I'm joking. What do you want to do?"

He shrugged.

"You want to take a nap, don't you?" she asked with a small, knowing smile.

He chuckled sheepishly, his pale cheeks darkening a little.

"Alright, you take a nap. I'll go get ready because you and I are going to hike up this volcano."

"The whole volcano?" he called after her.

Mara turned and nodded before shutting the door behind her as she disappeared into her bedroom.

* * *

Jerome Clarke huffed out a breath and reached over to the bedside table, picking up the phone. "Hello?" he said groggily.

"I apologize for waking you, Mr. Clarke, but supper is served." Nalani spoke from the other line.

"Thank you," he sighed, hanging the phone up and sitting up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his blonde hair and straightened his black tie. He left his room and jogged down the stairs to the lobby. As he was walking to the dining room, a phone on the other side of the room began to ring. He looked around for Nalani or another employee, but he was the only one in the room. He answered the phone and waited a moment for the person on the other line to speak, but the line suddenly clicked off. He pulled the phone away from his ear and studied it uneasily.

He put the phone down and turned back to the dining room, but he had run into something rather suddenly and fallen forward. He saved the person that had fallen beneath him by holding himself up by landing in a push-up position. He locked eyes with Mara Jaffray as she lay beneath him, blushing furiously.

Jerome chuckled. "What a compromising position."

"Jerome?" Fabian realized.

He swallowed and whispered, "Did you get more beautiful since we last saw each other?"

"What are you doing here?" Fabian asked.

Jerome pushed off Mara and stood up, taking her hands and pulling her up.

Mara pressed her lips together, looking away and hiding behind her dark hair.

"Well," Jerome said, running a hand through his hair. "I—"

"Oh, great, the Slimeball's here."

The three looked up when Patricia Williamson and Joy Mercer landed at the bottom of the stairs.

"I can't believe this." Joy said with a shake of her head.

"Great, are all my ex-girlfriend's here?" Jerome huffed. "Though I wouldn't mind seeing Becca again… Oh yeah, Becca…" he blinked. "Wait, what were we talking about?"

Patricia rolled her green eyes. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Vacation," Fabian shrugged.

"Science," Mara smiled.

"Sleep," Jerome answered.

"We didn't ask you, Cockroach." Joy snapped.

"Joyless, just because we didn't work out doesn't mean you have to be a bitch. Mara's being civil."

"I'm not Mara."

"Don't you think I know that?"

"Not in high school, you didn't—"

"Whoa, what is going on down here?"

Joy and Jerome fell silent and the group turned to Eddie Miller, who was followed by Alfie Lewis and KT Rush.

"Oh no," Patricia groaned.

"What are you guys doing here?" Alfie asked.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jerome demanded. "Why is everyone from high school here? Oh no, wait, we're missing Nina and Amber—"

"Not anymore you're not," Nina Martin chuckled, coming down the stairs with Amber Millington.

"I am so done." Jerome grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's time for dinner," Alfie spoke up when everyone started to speak at once, arguing and demanding why everyone was in the same hotel.

"Hey!" Eddie shouted.

Everyone shut up and glared at each other.

"Okay, we need to stop fighting." Nina sighed.

"I'm hungry," KT hissed, pulling on Eddie's sleeve.

"Yeah, I know." He nodded and followed her and Alfie to the dining room.

Slowly, the others trailed after them. When they sat down, they remained quiet, staring at the food that had been laid out on the long table.

Joy was the first to speak up, "Still alone, Jerome?"

"Yeah, you've got no friends, as always?" Patricia snickered.

"Is there anyone else here?" he asked suddenly, eyeing the table. "Because I think it's kind of odd that the table has just enough seats for all of us, leaving no room for anyone else." He looked at Eddie. "Why are you here?"

"Vacation, Jerry," he shrugged a shoulder.

"No, why did you come here, specifically?"

"I got a thing in the mail that said I won three free round-trip tickets to Honolulu and a couple nights here."

"Like this thing?" he asked, pulling a card out of his blazer pocket and holding it up.

"Yeah, where'd you get that?"

"The mail."

"I got one of those too," Fabian mumbled, searching his pockets for his own card.

"So did I!" Amber said in amazement, gray eyes wide.

"Joy got one, too," Patricia said thoughtfully. "Wait, the letter says that the winner is the one and only winner. So…why were five sent?"

The group broke into conversation, trying to decipher why they were there. All the while, Jerome stared at the table, the wheels in his head turning.

"Jerry? What do you think?" Eddie asked.

Jerome sighed quietly. "We each won a free trip, which anyone would jump at the chance to take it. We're the only ones here. There are enough chairs for us and us only. We're on an island, staying in a hotel that isn't listed as a hotel—shit, it's a trap." He realized, jumping out of his chair and rushing to the front doors. He gave the handles a tug and the door jerked but didn't open. He let out a humorless laugh, dragging his fingers through his hair. "We're locked in."

* * *

**Review?**

**"And it was wonderful, it was magical. It was everything I waited for, a miracle. And if I should ever fall in love again with someone knew, it'll never be the way- no, it will never be the way I loved you..." -The Way I Loved You, Selena Gomez & The Scene  
**

**-Rachel**


	15. A Second Chance: Chapter 33 (Sneak Peek)

**I decided to give you guys a sneak peek to the next chapter because I'll be gone all night and I won't be able to post the chapter once it's finished- but this chapter is really important to the whole story and very exciting! I've been planning this chapter since I started the story!**

**Enjoy a sneak peek to Chapter 32 of ****_A Second Chance_****!**

* * *

When Jerome and Mara walked into the house after their date that night, the Clarke children were standing around the door, waiting excitedly.

"Well good evening to you guys, too." Jerome chuckled. "Where's Michael?"

"He went out." Louisa replied.

"Did you ask her?" Alice asked quickly.

"Ask me what?" Mara looked up at Jerome with furrowed eyebrows.

Alice's eyes widened, "Um, if you wanted to go on vacation with us this year?"

"No, he didn't." she replied with a shake of her head.

"Oh, I just remembered. I was going to tell you guys that we're getting married but I guess that's not very important. Not like vacation or anything."

"Oh my, gosh, really; you asked her? You said yes?" Louisa demanded.

"No, she asked me." he shrugged, trying to scoot past them.

"I'm going to have a mummy?" Gracie questioned, grabbing on to Jerome's pant leg.

"Yes, darling, you're going to have a mummy." He winked.

"Congratulations," everyone chorused, all at once moving in to give them a hug.

Jerome suddenly looked up from the kids' happy chatter when Josh shoved past them all, coming from the kitchen, and rushing up the stairs to the bedrooms. "Josh," he called, following him. When he made it up to the door, he found it locked. He rapped his knuckles against the wood. "Josh, open the door."

"I don't want to talk, dad." He snapped back from inside his bedroom.

"Joshua, open the door." Jerome ordered.

The lock clicked and the door opened. Josh glared up at his father. "What?"

"Don't use that tone with me."

"Then don't talk to me—" he tried to shut the door but Jerome stopped it and pushed it open before Josh could react.

"What's so bad about me and Mara getting married, huh?"

Josh ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "I don't like her. And you never noticed that. You completely ignored how I was feeling."

"Why didn't you say something?" Jerome ground out.

"Because I thought that you'd end up breaking up at some point and then everything would be back to normal."

"Josh, just get to know her. She's amazing—"

"I don't want to know her! I don't want to have anything to do with her! I don't even want to talk about this—I just want to be left alone!"

Jerome chuckled. "You're so much like me."

"I hate it when you say that." Josh growled. "I hate it when people say I look like you. I can't stand that I'm anything like you. I don't want to be anything like you. You're horrible!"

Jerome nearly flinched. "You don't know what I've done for you. Do you know what would've happened if I had my dad around when I was growing up? You wouldn't be here."

"I don't want to be here." Josh cried. "I can't stand being in this family! No one cares about me here. And you! I can't stand you either. I hate you!"

Jerome didn't say anything as Josh brushed past him, storming out of the room and pushing past Mara as he jogged down the stairs. Jerome turned to follow him as the front door slammed shut. Mara placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"Let me talk to him." she said quietly.

* * *

**Review?**

**Hehe, I'm extremely excited for when you all can read this chapter!**

**"You use your words as a weapon, dear. But your blades don't hurt when you have no fear. You think that your deep under my skin. You're trying to keep me suffering. If you use your words as a weapon, then as a weapon, I'll shed no tears." -Words As Weapons, Birdy**

**-Rachel**


	16. A Second Chance: Chapter 36 (Sneak Peek)

**Hey! So I'm working on the next chapter right now, but here's sneak peek in case I don't get it done soon. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

TJ smiled slyly. "Who's got you all smiley?"

Michael jumped off the bench and spun around to glare at her. "TJ, that's not funny!"

"I'm sorry," she chuckled lightly, sitting on the bench and he warily did the same. "I just wanted to know why you were grinning at the swings like a freak."

Michael rolled his eyes and let out a slow breath through his nose. "I was not grinning at the swings."

"And you were obviously not thinking about a girl." She nodded and winked.

The blonde remained silent, staring at her blankly, and she held his gaze, one eyebrow raised challengingly. Finally, he groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, I was thinking about Emily."

"Ooh, the tutor—"

"Why am I telling you this?" he laughed suddenly, cutting her off.

"Because I'm your best friend," she shrugged.

"Since when? We met two days ago."

"Since I decided that you need a real friend because I know all your friends are jerks." She stated bluntly.

"Do you get this level of bluntness from your mother or father?"

"Dad," she grinned.

"And the apologizing from your mother, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah," she mumbled and then poked his shoulder. "Why don't you ask her out?"

Michael took a second to realize who she was talking about and shook his head. "One, I've got a girlfriend already—"

"Then why aren't you thinking about her?"

"TJ, if you're going to be my best friend, you need to let me finish my sentences." He smirked and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "We wouldn't work out."

"I think you mean that you don't want to date her in fear of being shunned by the entire student body."

Michael gritted his teeth and turned to her. "Really?"

She hummed in verification. "You also fear rejection."

He swallowed. "You're good at reading people too. Are you a superhero?"

She laughed. "Close, I'm a girl."

Michael didn't want to, but he laughed. "Alright, point TJ."

TJ grinned. "Break up with your girlfriend and ask Emily out. I know she'd say yes."

* * *

**Review?**

**"Never gonna grow up, never gonna slow down. We were shinin' like lighter in the dark in the middle of a rock show. We were doin' it right, we were comin' alive. Yeah, caught in a Southern, summer, barefoot, blue jean night." -Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Jake Owen**

**-Rachel**


	17. Who Would've Thought? (ASC: M&N Story)

**So this is how Nina and Mick got together in _A Second Chance_, like, before the story started. :) Because everyone was wondering. If you wanna know how KT and Ben got together, let me know. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'm sorry, Gran, they're all sold out." Nina Martin said sadly, sitting beside Evelyn Martin on the bench that sat against the brick building.

Evelyn waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry yourself, Nina. We were just a little too late. Maybe next year—"

"Nina?"

Nina turned and saw the one and only Mick Campbell walking toward them. She stood up and smiled. "Mick, oh my, gosh, what are you doing here?"

"I'm a member of the opposing team," he shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Were you trying to get tickets?"

"Yeah, they're kinda sold out." she laughed a little awkwardly, motioning to the booth.

He held up a hand and waved to tickets out in front of him.

"Are you trying to make me mad at you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "That's not funny."

"For you," he said with a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. "I have an unlimited amount of tickets that I can give to friends, and since I don't have any friends outside of the team…have fun."

"Thanks, that's so sweet of you." She smiled, taking them from him.

"I have to get to practice, but after the game, come down to the locker rooms. I'll take you and your Gran out for dinner."

"Oh you don't have to."

He grinned, shaking his head. "No, I want to. It's a good way to catch up. I haven't seen any of the House members since I left. I miss everyone."

Nina nodded slowly. "Thanks, it was great seeing you."

* * *

Evelyn laughed, patting Mick's cheek lightly. "You're such a sweetheart. Thank you for the supper, it was delicious."

"You're very welcome, Evelyn." He grinned, watching the women walk into the house.

Nina turned to him, leaning her back on the closed door. "Congratulations again."

"Thanks, we've got one more game and then we'll be heading to Florida, I believe. Do you want to go to the next game?"

"Can you afford another two tickets?" she asked teasingly.

Mick ran a hand through his blond hair. "I think so."

"Don't want to get you in trouble or anything, you know."

He chuckled, leaning back on the porch railing. "Are you going to university here?"

"Yeah, I just haven't been majoring in anything yet. I'm just taking classes."

"You don't know what you're doing yet?" he asked with a curious tilt of his head, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

"Well, when I was dating Fabian, I wanted to be an archeologist, or an Egyptologist. But then once I got back to the states, I realized that it was because of all the Egyptian craziness at school. Now, I don't know what I want to do."

Mick nodded, watching her silently as she continued, pushing a lock of her long, light brown hair behind her ear.

"I mean, you always knew what you wanted to do. How did you do that?"

Mick smiled a bit sheepishly, scratching his eyebrow. "Okay, this is a secret, but before I decided that sports were my thing, I wanted to be baker."

Nina pressed her lips together. "Like pastries and that kinda thing?"

"Bread," he corrected. "My mum used to bake this amazing bread when I was a kid in a brick oven. She learned to bake in France and for a while, I wanted to do that, just so I could have her with me. But then I started playing football and things and decided to bake only when I've got free time."

Nina giggled. "So you had a moment when you weren't sure what you wanted to do because everyone has that problem. Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"More or less," he shrugged. "I was actually trying to make you smile."

"Well it worked, thank you."

"I think you could do anything." He stated, his eyes giving her a once over unintentionally. "Maybe a model, you're beautiful."

A blush crawled up her tan cheeks slowly as she ducked her head a little. "Thank you, but I don't think I'd cut it as a model. I really don't like my picture taken."

"Not even for my contacts?" He asked, holding up his phone.

She laughed, covering her face with her hands. "Ugh, fine…"

He snapped a quick picture of her smiling for the camera and she pulled out her phone. When the camera clicked, he crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

"Mick, oh my, gosh," she laughed, looking down at the picture. "You're so immature."

"I live to cheer." He sent her a lopsided grin, handing over his phone and taking hers so they could enter their numbers.

"Thank you," he said, taking his phone back.

To this day they weren't sure who initiated it, but their lips met swiftly. Nina's hand held the back of his neck and Mick's hands gripped her waist gently. When they pulled away abruptly, Nina grabbed the doorknob behind her, to help herself remain standing, and Mick looked away awkwardly.

"Um, the tickets will be at the front gate." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," she waved uncomfortably.

"Um, Nina—" he began when she moved to hurry back into the house.

"I know. We're just lonely and caught up in the moment."

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Right, good night."

"'Night,"

* * *

Mick took another swig of his water and looked up and down the hallway that led to the locker rooms. He couldn't see Nina or her Gran anywhere. Finally, after a few more minutes of waiting, he retreated to the showers.

"Your girlfriend not show up, mate?" one of his teammates teased when he finished showering.

"She's not my girlfriend," Mick grumbled, taking his phone out of his bag. He had one missed call. Nina. He held it to his ear and listened to her frantically tell him something that he couldn't hear very well due to sirens in the background. But he caught enough to know that she was at the hospital and her Gran wasn't okay.

* * *

Mick jogged down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of Nina where she sat on the floor, crying into her knees. He collapsed before her and held her shaking shoulders in his hands.

"Nina," he whispered. He cursed himself in his head. "I'm so horrible with comfort. I-I don't know what to say."

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him for dear life. He sighed, holding her close to him. He kissed the side of her head, stroking a hand down her soft hair, listening to her sobs as they filled the empty hallway.

* * *

**4 months later…**

Nina gazed at Mick in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, for the last four months," he began, slipping his hands into his pockets, feeling like he needed to do something with them, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I…I'm on vacation for a couple of months. Would you go out with me?"

Nina smiled. "Sure, okay,"

* * *

"…he threw the ball in the opposite direction. Later, we found out that he was paid to throw the game. I punched him so hard he was unresponsive for three hours." Mick said with a shake of his head.

"Did he get kicked off the team?" Nina asked, strolling beside him on the sidewalk.

"Yep," he nodded and then his blue orbs landed on her briefly. Her hair was shorter than it was a couple months ago, coming a couple inches below her small shoulders. "I never knew you were into sports."

"No one ever asked," she laughed. "My grandpa used to take me to all kinds of sport events because he was a talent scout. I played basketball in high school and during the summer I played softball."

Mick grinned. "Could you beat me in a one on one match?"

"You want to take your chances?" she challenged.

"I think I might have a pretty good chance."

"You're on." she smirked, shaking his hand.

Mick pulled her to a stop and pressed his lips to hers before he could stop himself. She held his cheeks in her hands and his hands splayed across her back as their lips moved over each other's. When they pulled back, much slower this time, he let out a breathy chuckle. "I didn't know it could feel that good."

* * *

Mick dribbled the basketball behind him, keeping it a safe distance from his girlfriend. "Mick: six. Nina: four. Still think you can beat me?"

"Yes," she nodded, charging at him and taking the ball. She turned and threw the ball. It rounded the rim once before falling through the net and awarding her with a three-pointer. "Still think you can beat me?"

"When I win, I want you." He smirked.

"When _I_ win, I want zucchini lemon bread." She grinned, dribbling the ball.

"_If_ you win," he corrected, grabbing her hips when she tried to run past him.

"Foul!" she cried with a laugh.

* * *

Mick leaned an arm against the doorjamb, watching Nina with interest as she cooked, wearing his football jersey. He licked his lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I've never loved breakfast more." He said into her thick hair.

"Most important meal of the day." she smiled, carrying a plate of bacon to the smorgasbord that was laid out on the table.

"I think…" he drifted off, pulling her around and pressing their chests together. "I think I've fallen in love you. No," he said seriously, his grip tightening on her hips, "I know I fell in love with you. I love you."

"I love you, too." Nina murmured.

"Why didn't we do this in high school? We missed years of amazing sex." he grinned cheekily, leaning down to kiss her.

* * *

"Wow," Nina said in awe, staring out of the hotel window.

"One of the best things about traveling," Mick said, motioning to the city.

"Wow,"

Her boyfriend laughed and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "I promise I'll take you out to see the city after practice." He pecked her cheek. "Love you, babes."

* * *

Mick closed the hotel room door and flicked on the bathroom light, cracking the door open so he wouldn't wake Nina up. He shrugged off his jacket and changed into a pair of pajama pants, crawling into bed beside Nina. "Sorry I'm late, babe." He whispered, wrapping an arm around her waist. She didn't answer him, but he didn't notice that she was wide awake, unable to fall asleep.

* * *

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Mick." Nina snapped.

"I told you I'll show you around—"

"You said that about California, Missouri and Texas. You didn't have time for me."

"Nina, that's how this works. I'm an athlete sometimes we don't have time for the little things in life."

"Little things?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"N-no," he shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Well, how did you mean it? I'm obviously not as important as your games. I'm not going to be the girl that only gets love and attention when it's suitable for your schedule."

"Babe, sometimes, it's just hard to make time—"

"No, Mick." She held up her hand, backing toward the door. "I want to be a top priority. It may be selfish, and I love you, but I can't be such an unimportant part of your life."

Mick watched her leave the hotel room emotionlessly. Nina stopped outside the door, hoping he would open it and stop her from leaving. But when several minutes passed, and he didn't follow her, she turned and walked down the hallway to the hotel elevator.

* * *

**9 months later…**

Mick rushed up to the hospital front desk. "Nina Martin; I'm her boyfriend."

The nurse looked down at the computer screen and then gave him the number of the room she was in. Once he made it to the room, he stopped the doctor that was rushing out, calling for a nurse.

"Is she okay?"

"Are you the father of the child?" the doctor asked.

Mick's heart skipped several beats. "Ch-child? As in, like, baby?"

"She needs someone there, she has no other family. I'll allow you in the room if you're the father."

"I…I…yeah?"

Mick was immediately ushered into the room and he soon found himself standing beside Nina's bed as she clutched onto his hand, breathing heavily. He forced himself out of the initial shock that Nina was giving birth and let his instincts take over. He stroked her forehead, trying to smooth down the wrinkles of frustration that had formed there. He kissed her hair. He whispered in her ear. He told her he loved her.

* * *

Mick sat in the arm chair beside Nina's hospital bed and watched her silently as she held the little baby boy that he wasn't sure was his or not.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, meeting his blue eyes briefly.

"I was in town and got a call that you were in a car accident." He whispered. "Is he mine?"

Nina pressed her lips together and nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

They were silent again.

"I'm sorry I didn't stop you."

"Do you want to hold him?"

"Are you okay with that?"

"He's your son, Mick." She laughed, patting the bed beside her.

Cautiously, the Englishman stood up and sat down on the edge of the bed. He had held babies before, but this was entirely different. This was his son; his own flesh and blood. He and Nina made this little creature and he wasn't even sure how to explain how to explain what he was feeling. One moment he was feeling nervous, then sick, then scared, then angry, then exhausted, then happy, and then, when he looked down at the baby he held in his arms, he felt an overwhelming sense of pride that shadowed over all the other emotions he was feeling.

"What are you going to name him?" he asked quietly.

"What about Jackson?" she suggested.

"After my grandfather," his dark eyebrows furrowed. He looked up at her nervously. He cradled Jackson to his chest and picked up Nina's hand, entwining their fingers. "I almost asked you to marry me once."

"What stopped you?" she whispered.

"I messed us up." he said guiltily.

"I shouldn't've been so selfish." She said.

"I shouldn't have neglected you." He kissed her hand. "You were right. I need to get my priorities straight. Starting now, forever, you and Jackson are my top priority. That is if you'll have me. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?"

"Yeah," she nodded excitedly, taking his face in her hands and pulling his lips to hers.

* * *

**Review?**

**So...yeah...**

******"Who are you now? Did you say what you want? Don't go back to the start. I'm asking, who are you now? Did they break you apart? Won't you fight back for what you want?" -Who Are You Now, Sleeping With Sirens**

**-Rachel**


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